<p>My son is NMSF with very solid stats. UW in-state with no merit money would cost us just over $20,000 per year. If he gets full tuition or better at the schools he is applying to then it will save us about 8-$10,000 per year. I realize that all states are cutting back, but UW tuition is going to rise at least 8% for probably the next 4-5 years. Not only that the UW is not all that selective. I teach at a high school that sends tons of kids there and I am amazed at some of the admits.</p>
<p>Corn. Lots and lots of corn.</p>
<p>If my state were Wisconsin, Michigan, North Carolina, California, Virginia, Minnesota, Washington, Oregon, Arizona – states with flagships in what I consider good towns or beautiful locations – it would be a different story.</p>
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<p>Several states do have two “top” state universities, but emphasizing different subjects. E.g. UNC/NCSU, USC/Clemson, IU/Purdue, Georgia/Georgia Tech.</p>
<p>UW is more selective than PITT or U Minn. Anecdotes not withstanding</p>
<p>MisterK–the poster was looking at UMinn and Pitt as UW alternatives. I did not choose them.</p>
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<p>With your logic, when UCSB, for instance, become as competitive as UCLA in the future, the UC will then have 3 flagship campuses, is that what you’re saying? lol</p>
<p>It doesn’t matter if other States don’t have anything similar to the UC’s.</p>
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<p>Again, informative is an uninformed poster. He’s completely unaware that in many states, the state flagship will get you anyplace you will ever need or want to go.</p>
<p>*With the exception of a few states (California, Michigan), most state schools have horrible reputations that will open zero doors for its graduates. </p>
<p>Can you imagine going to a wall street firm and saying you went to the University of Alabama? lol*</p>
<p>Hmmm…considering that the Chief of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Charles Li, is a Bama grad…</p>
<p>“And, Marillyn Hewson, executive vice president of Lockheed Martin’s Electronic Systems business area and a University of Alabama graduate, has moved up to No. 27 in Fortune’s annual ranking of America’s 50 most powerful women in business.” [University</a> of Alabama News UA Grad No. 27 on America?s 50 Most Powerful Women in Business List](<a href=“http://uanews.ua.edu/2011/10/ua-grad-no-27-on-america’s-50-most-powerful-women-in-business-list/]University”>http://uanews.ua.edu/2011/10/ua-grad-no-27-on-america’s-50-most-powerful-women-in-business-list/)</p>
<p>While these people and others may not be on Wall Street, that’s not the only place to be successful. </p>
<p>Misinformative, you operate under this odd idea that only those who are attending top privates are going to be successful adults. If you took some time and investigated where many, many very successful people have gone to school, you’d see SUNYs and Midwest state schools and yes, even some Southern state schools. Next time you’re at your doctor’s, dentist’s, CPA’s and your other professionals’ offices, ask them where they went to school. I doubt they all went to Top 20 schools for their entire college/grad/prof education. </p>
<p>For you to claim that the grads from state schools will find employment doors shut to them is ridiculous (other than Calif, Mich according to you…I’m guessing you’re only including UMich in that claim…MSU grads are probably also SOL in your book.) . </p>
<p>Do you do any common sense testing to these kinds of claims? Think about it. If after 10 years or so, if such schools’ grads were not finding meaningful employment, what do you think would happen? I’ll give you a hint…No one would continue applying to those schools.</p>
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<p>perhaps i’m making the wrong point. Maybe i should be saying that it’s important to note that the UC system is the only public university system which has more than one of its universities in the top 25. US news classifies the top 25 as the ‘elite universities.’ perhaps this contributes to what makes each university considered a ‘flagship.’</p>
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<p>Sure. the whole point is that it’s the ‘most important’ campus(es) so if it becomes one then sure it could become a flagship. (at least according to my definition)</p>
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my point with that was to try to show that no other states have two universities with as exceptionally high quality as the UCs do. Of all the top public universities in the top 30 (USN rankings) only the UC system has two in it (michigan, UVa, and UNC only have one of their campuses in it.) So i’d say that this distinction is important.</p>
<p>“US news classifies the top 25 as the 'elite universities.”</p>
<p>I never knew that. So you’re saying that UCLA is elite and Michigan is not?</p>
<p>Rutgers is a fine school, and I’m ready to apply there as a fallback. However, I’m looking for a school with a better student-faculty ratio. And I also kind of want to get out of New Jersey. Just the personal taste input.</p>
<p>Kids from my school that go to UConn tend to be wealthy slackers/stoners. They’re not stupid per se–I know some really bright kids there–but it’s not a crowd I would associate myself with for the most part. JS.</p>
<p>My one son will not apply because it’s too rural, too enormous, and too big a party school. My other son wants to apply for all of the above reasons.</p>
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<p>i’m not saying that, USNews is :D</p>
<p>but michigan’s been in the top 25 before so i’d include it there.</p>
<p>^^^Please show me where USNWR uses the word “elite” for it’s top 25 schools?</p>
<p>beyphy, here’s the definition of flagship campus:</p>
<p>The phrase flagship institution or flagship university is often used with reference to state university systems in the United States, which often comprise numerous separate and distinct degree-granting institutions. In this context, flagship means the original institutions from which the system grew, often schools dating from the wave of state university foundings that occurred in the three decades from 1850 to 1880.
[Flagship</a> - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flagship]Flagship”>Flagship - Wikipedia)</p>
<p>Now, unless you can prove it to me that UCLA is the original UC campus, then I’ll keep my mouth shut. Deal?</p>
<p>For those of you who aren’t certain with the fact that Michigan State University is without any doubt, one of the two flagship colleges in the State of Michigan. Here are some highlights from the top of my head:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Michigan State (#71) ranks higher than a handful of the de jure public flagship colleges in the nation.</p></li>
<li><p>MSU was proposed in 1849 by John C. Holmes, founded in 1855, and served as the prototype college of all the Land-Grant Universities in America. The Morrill Act of 1862 was signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln. The founding President was Joseph R. Williams of Harvard Law who paved the way in establishing its unique Ox-Cambridge model of residential teaching, living and learning style.</p></li>
<li><p>MSU operates “three” medical schools, in addition to the only vet school in the State of Michigan.</p></li>
<li><p>MSU possesses the largest collegiate dormitory system in the nation, roughly 80% of the students are residents of Michigan. And it is also the largest university in the state of Michigan.</p></li>
<li><p>Both Spartan football & basketball are well respected programs, member of the BIG Ten Conference, and participate in NCAA Div 1 competition. </p></li>
<li><p>Michigan State also operates the best “on-campus” Nuclear Physics facility in the world (The National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory - FRIB).</p></li>
</ol>
<p>The list just goes on and on…</p>
<p>Ohio University should be the flagship for that state. It is older and doesn’t require a “The” before it’s name. ;-)</p>
<p>^^ Well, you know, it’s all about the Vet School… ;-)</p>
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<p>[Economic</a> Diversity Among the Top 25 Ranked Schools | Rankings | Top National Universities | US News](<a href=“http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities/economic-diversity-among-top-ranked-schools]Economic”>http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities/economic-diversity-among-top-ranked-schools)</p>
<p>they don’t explicitly state that schools in the top 25 are elite; but they do list ‘elite schools’ all of which happen to be in the top 25.</p>