<p>I've been accepted to both Western Michigan University and University of Michigan. I'll be an engineering student in both (So far I have Electrical Engineering +Computer Science in mind)
I live very near WMU (About a 20min car ride there from my home) meaning I can cut quite a bit of costs from not having to live in a dorm and live comfortably.
U of M will cost around 22k for everything I'll need
WMU will cost somewhere from 7-8k </p>
<p>Now, as an EE+CS student I want to work for a company such as Intel, Nvidia, ATI, AMD, etc.
Will going to WMU instead of U of M be such a big difference in my career prospects that it wouldn't justify what I would save?</p>
<p>Western Michigan University is a really good school and also located in a decent city. Western Michigan University is also only a block away from Kalamazoo College. I know a handful of students who had the option to attend University of Michigan and only one decided to attend. As for Western Michigan University I know a handful of students who will be attending and couldn’t be more thrilled with their choice. For them and you Western Michigan University is a win win situation. Good luck.</p>
As I’ve stated above Western Michigan University is a win win situation for you. I do not know the ratio of students at Western Michigan University that leave the state for job occupation but I do know that Michigan State University and UMich both have about 40-50 percent that leaves the state upon graduation. It’s said that Michigan State University largest alumni base is in Chicago and UMich which is in Detroit.</p>
<p>In my opinion, the U-M degree will carry you farther because there is a large Michigan alumni network in the San Francisco/Bay Area. Most of the companies you listed are based in northern California. Many top employers from across the country come to U-M to recruit students.</p>
<p>Thanks for the replies Coolbrezze, tenisghs, and mom2collegekids. </p>
<p>I think I might actually take mom2collegekids’s advice and go to WMU for 2 years and then go to U of M for the other 2 years.</p>
<p>Is there any downside to this at all? Can anyone who has tried this sort of thing tell me how it’s like?
Will future employers look down on this thinking “Oh this kid only went to U of M for two years. . .”
Any info at all would be good.</p>
<p>As a person from the Bay Area who actually recruits EECS students from both U-M and U-Illinois on a regular basis, I can tell you that there is a clear difference between the transfer students at U-M ( usually U-M Dearborn) and U-M students from the EECS dept. who have been there for all four years. Typically what we notice is that the GPA seems to drop a lot during their U-M stint. If you can figure out a way to afford it - go for U-M for all 4 years. The program is top-notch in EECS and employers in the Bay Area understand these nuances.</p>
<p>There is no substitute to spending one’s fresman year in a dorm at one’s four year university. Spending your freshman year at home at a two-year option and then transfering into your fitst-choice option is not optimal from an experience/social growth/networking point of view.</p>
<p>Assuming your financial situation permits without taking on additional debt, I would recommend going straight to Ann Arbor.</p>
<p>I agree with Alexandre. Also don’t assume you can transfer into Ann Arbor easily, even with high grades. There is no guarantee it will happen and the education you will receive at Western will in no way compare to the one at U-M if you cannot. Please do not listen to Coolbrezze either. It is not a “win win situation” for you at all. You have a chance to attend one of America’s great universities at an in state price. Just do it and don’t look back!</p>
<p>Wow. Okay, if my chances go from reasonable to almost none for getting a dream job at one of the companies I listed just by going to WMU at all for any amount of time over U of M, I’ll be heading to U of M for sure.
Money will be tight, but I will easily manage.
dadmm85, can I ask you a few questions?
If I do go to U of M, major in EECS, do I have a reasonable chance of getting hired by companies like AMD, Intel, Nvidia, ATI, etc assuming I get an average GPA or higher?</p>
<p>Also, I actually already registered for classes. By the looks of it I’ll be very busy and am uncertain I will have much time for extracurricular activities.
What exactly do you look out for in a potential employee?</p>
<p>Thanks a bunch guys. Getting hired by companies like I listed is a huge dream of mine.</p>
<p>“If I do go to U of M, major in EECS, do I have a reasonable chance of getting hired by companies like AMD, Intel, Nvidia, ATI, etc assuming I get an average GPA or higher?”</p>
<p>There is no guarantee, but your chances of landing an internship/job with those Bay Area tech companies increase a lot if you are a U-M student.</p>
<p>Coolbreeze and Pierre (I don’t know his full name, but the guy from Clemson) have long established themselves on these boards to give or argue about the most absurd ideas about colleges. Don’t listen to any of them. </p>
<p>Like the people above me have said, Michigan is one of the nation’s best Universities and even more so for engineering. The area that you are trying to get into after college is overwhelmingly more achievable from Michigan than WMU. </p>
<p>Normally I advise for students to give serious consideration to finances when making a college decision. But in this instance I don’t think that the debt you will be going into should over ride everything else. I mean you are trying to go into a field where it’s easy to get nice paying job after a Bachelors degree</p>
<p>It’s a tragedy to think WMU graduates who dream to work in the Bay area has no chance when in fact they do. Many go into the workfoce and/ or graduate school and work with top companies. It is also a tragedy for UMich students/ others to think the school will serve them into any workforce they wish when in fact it doesn’t. Many of us know students who graduate from college and end up working in a local shop bagging. Well for some reason a few on cc may be surprise but my friend knows a graduate from UMich buisness school ( between 2007 and 09) who is now back home ( Detroit metro) bagging at a local shop. Disheartened by all those who implied they could get a job in Seattle, San Francisco, Miami, New York and even Chicago (the five cities where most job applications were submitted). Took on a hefty debt and regret not attending OSU-Columbus for free. The person friends also graduated from the buisness school and are not in the best situation. </p>
<p>So yes WMU does have it’s cons but also pros, it’s a win win situation goodluck.</p>
<p>You might be getting ahead of yourself here. No one said that WMU grads have no chance to work in the Bay Area or that UM grads can get any job they want. Nor should one “friend of a friend” anecdote be used as reliable evidence to pick WMU over UM. Someone may have just totally burned you in this thread but don’t let something like this cloud your judgement.</p>
<p>SaffronBlue, do not listen to Coolbrezze. He is an anti-Michigan ■■■■■ on this forum. </p>
<p>Western Michigan is not a bad university; it is one of the best schools in the state of Michigan. However, if you want to cast your net wider and work for some of the best companies in the country, the U-M engineering program has excellent recruitment.</p>
<p>I can’t believe novi isn’t exploding here. Honestly coolbreze, you have just lost all credibility. Western v. UMich? Honestly?! There are countless jokes about WMU in the learned circles of Michigan. You refer to EVERY school as a “win-win” when compared to Michigan. However, a year ago Michigan was your top school. Why the sudden change of heart? Do I really need to say? Tell me, if you wouldn’t recommend Michigan over Western, what school would you recommend Michigan over? Please don’t let your grudges impact the advice you give people – some may confuse you for impartial.</p>
<p>To the OP: UMich is the CLEAR choice here, ESPECIALLY for engineering. That difference in tuition honestly does not seem like a deal breaker. And to answer your question, WMU may not put you at a disadvantage, but it will not make you stand out. The “wow” factor that comes with the UMich name (ESPECIALLY in engineering circles) just doesn’t exist with Western.</p>
<p>Nothing you write ever surprises me Coolbrezze. It’s always negative towards Michigan whenever it comes into a discussion. You really need to get over that rejection letter already.</p>
I was reading through the post fast and thought someone implied that about WMU. Reading the forum once again I discovered the post that I thought implied such:
Probably the way it was worded and how fast I was reading through the thread.</p>
<p>Well staffronblue WMU is a great option academically and financially, I am sure you and others may know thousands of students who want the same offer given by WMU. Good luck.</p>
Lol. I do not care about UMich decision on my application as I couldn’t be more happy being a future alumni at Iowa. I guess many cc users are upset because my post doesn’t emphasize on UMich as it does with Western Michigan University. WMU 14-15k cheaper a year, and one of Michigans great school. If needed/ desired 56-60k could be used towards a graduated degree at Michigan State University ( for in-state tution) or even out of state. It’s obvious there are two different opinions on this thread.</p>