<p>Ok, I'm confident that with my stats I'd be accepted into the UofM College of Engineering, so for the sake of this thread let's assume I'm accepted.</p>
<p>Now, the problem is paying for it. Assuming no significant merit aid, it's out of the question without loans for four years. </p>
<p>Would it hurt me -at all- to go to another state university or even the UofM Flint campus for my first two years? I mean, I'd be taking the same classes that I would at UofM Ann Arbor. I've been offered a full ride to UofM-Flint and another state university, and it's hard to argue that I should pay $20,000 for two years at UofM Ann Arbor for classes that I could otherwise get for free.</p>
<p>With AP and dual enrollment credits I've already earned 27 college credits at said alternate universities, putting me pretty close to sophomore status. It would be a huge money saver for me...but what's the catch? Why doesn't everyone do this? Why do people pay top dollar for general engineering requirements at UofM Ann Arbor when they can get them for a lot cheaper elsewhere and transfer?</p>
<p>Stats if intersted:
ACT 33 Composite
In-state
3.854 weighted GPA, low 3.7 unweighted
top 10% of graduating class
Many AP/Honors Courses</p>
<p>EC-
9th Grade-Relay for Life, Cross Country, Bay City Jayteens Volunteer Group
10th Grade-Cross Country, Paper Route
Summer-Paper Route
11th Grade-Track and Field, Relay for Life, National Honor Society, Independant Online Currency Exhange Business ($3,000+ Profit), Landscaping Work-Gatza Builders<br>
Summer-Dow Corning Co-op (35+hrs/wk)
12th Grade-Dow Corning Co-op (20+hrs/wk), Relay for Life, National Honor Society, Calculus 2/3 Dual Enrollment, AP Scholar Award</p>
<p>“Would it hurt me -at all- to go to another state university or even the UofM Flint campus for my first two years? I mean, I’d be taking the same classes that I would at UofM Ann Arbor.”</p>
<p>You would be taking the same classes? I am not sure I agree. You will not be instructed by the same professors and you will not be pushed to the same limits. Furthermore, there are no guarantees you will be admitted into Michigan as a transfer, although your chances should be good. So would it hurt you to go to Flint first and then transfer to AA, probably not that much, but to say “not at all” would be stretching it a little.</p>
<p>Understood. UofM-Flint actually offers a guaranteed admissions program to the UofM-Ann Arbor CoE, so that’s not an issue either. Since many of the transfer reqs for the CoE are basic engineering and general education courses, being pushed to the same limit really doesn’t justify the $20,000/$40,000 price tag for me.</p>
<p>The only classes I still need credit for (for transfer requirements) are 3 credits of English 125 (many universities break English into two classes, of which I already have credit for one), math 216-Diff Eq, and physics 140/141, 240/241. That’s only 17 credits…so by staying home for a year I could most likely get all/most of my humanities requirements too, right? </p>
<p>Sure I won’t be “pushed” as hard, but they’re very basic classes, and considering I’m paying my own way through college…I’ve got to make financially smart decisions.</p>
<p>Like I said, there is a minimum GPA requirement (3.0-3.5 depending in Engineering focus). If you can get into the CoE, don’t take a chance. Transfering into the CoE is not difficult, but from what I have seen, it is far from being automatic or “guaranteed”.</p>
<p>If you meet the GPA requirement with the 2+2 program, you’re guaranteed admission to AA CoE. The only “chance” I’d be taking is not meeting that minimum GPA requirement. I feel if I can’t get a minimum 3.0-3.5 GPA at the Flint campus for a year, I don’t belong in the AA CoE anyways. I spoke to a UofM-Flint rep today, and he said even for those students who don’t do the 2+2 program, the transfer success rate is near 100% to AA.</p>
<p>I don’t know why more people don’t do it. My best guess is that they want the whole U-M experience right away, instead of waiting. But it looks like you’ve investigated all the angles and if it works for you to transfer, then that looks like a good option for you.</p>
<p>You’ll definitely want to wait and make this decision after you know for sure what your loan situation would be. Maybe the cost will be less than you think.</p>
<p>Say, and if I can digress for a moment, this is a perfect example is why I grinch against people who argue on CC that the graduation rate also represents the “drop-out” or “failure” rate (in the inverse).</p>
<p>Say kkei08 enrolls at Flint, knocks out the basic engineering requirements, and transfers to U-M. That’s a great success story–he saves $$ but still gets to graduate from a highly-regarded program. But UM-Flint will get “dinged” for his loss when it comes to measuring graduation for his cohort. He won’t “graduate” with his class–but he’s no failure, and he’s no dropout.</p>
<p>UM-Flint is proud to play this role (at least, it was under Mestas) and doesn’t begrudge anyone transferring to a place with a bigger national rep or a more robust campus life. They know those people don’t help their grad rates, but so be it. However, that role is underappreciated by some. I think you have to be careful before assuming that every non-graduate was ill-served by the institution.</p>
<p>Good point. I knew some small town kids who found Madison a little overwhelming so they moved to one of the smaller campuses that still offer a very good undergrad program and they could live cheaper or at home. Every school is not for everyone. You need to find your comfort zone.</p>