Accepted and torn- UMich, Purdue, Pitt

Intended career is stable/makes for a good living, currently loving and doing well in classes related to my major, personality fits, enjoying internship in my field of study
Job market for major is saturated though; unsure about the availability of job with technology improvements
Starting salary stays the same throughout my whole career no matter where I work
Basically, I am pretty confident in my choice of career based on fit, but I am apprehensive about the future job market.

UMich:

Pros: In case I would want to switch majors, any major is strong
More exploration (admitted to College of Literature, Science, and the Arts- 85 different majors)
More well-rounded, cultured education (read many times, felt the same way at Campus Day for admitted students)
Strongest school spirit
Walked along shops near campus and ate nearby; very pleasant
Would enjoy studying inside the Law Library
Telling myself that prestige is not a factor, but deep down is a factor

Cons: Route toward degree will be 1-2 years longer than the other two schools
Most rigorous; small rural high school, had to prep a lot for the SAT, unsure if I can transition well academically
Logistically more hassle

Purdue:

Pros: After adding cost for all years of schooling (including increased rates third year and on), half the price of the other two
Campus most centralized, most “green space”
Have several friends currently there
Loved summer camp there, made lots of memories
Night before Purdue’s For Me (admitted students’ day), drove around campus during a basketball game, felt vibrant

Cons: Have to reapply after two years; application process after the two years is brutal (videotaped oral presentation, separate 30 min interview, timed writing prompt on the spot, rank students numerically for spots in 3rd year class)
Only 1/3 of freshmen with the same major are able to pass the admission process (which also emphasizes work experience, community service, extracurriculars, etc.) to make it to the 3rd year
First two years are non-degree
At the session specifically for my major, it felt like there was a “weed-out” mentality (I could be wrong about this, and I really hope that I am wrong)

Pitt:

Pros: Program for major is the most straightforward of the three
Pittsburgh would probably be the best location of the three after graduation
Guaranteed an internship and can gain experience right at the U of Pittsburgh Medical Center
Enjoyed museum adjacent to campus, loved eating at a restaurant in downtown by the river, could spend hours standing at Point Park or Duquesne Incline and soaking it in
Cathedral of Learning is beautiful and has 34 different nationality rooms inside (parent compares to Epcot at Disney World); would love studying there

Cons: Lots going on in Pittsburgh, but not sure if there’s a lot going on at campus?
Career-focused; exploration in other areas?

Parents are willing to pay for any of the three colleges (incredibly thankful!!)

Thank you so much for your input as well as taking the time to read all of that! I appreciate it so much!
confusedhssenior88

What is your intended career field and why does it take an additional 2 years? Is that for a master’s degree? Have you looked at combined bachelor/masters program?

Just because your parents can afford all three options does not mean you need to waste money unnecessarily. Are you a resident of MI, IN or PA? Michigan for OOS students is expensive as it is. Having to spend an extra 1-2 years to complete your degree may not make sense unless you are intent on majoring in Business (Ross) and working in a prestige-conscious firm like McKinsey or Goldman Sachs, which recruit heavily at Michigan, but not so much at Purdue or Pitt. However, from what you wrote above, you sound more like a Pharmacy, in which case, I would recommend Pitt since prestige really isn’t a factor. Save as much money as you can and invest it soundly for the future. :wink:

@TooOld4School I want to major in pharmacy (and for undergrad at UMich, chemistry). The undergraduate curriculum is generally non-degree, and is 2 years at both Pitt and Purdue but 3 years at Michigan. Most at Michigan can fufill the requirements in 3 years (80 credits) but choose to get a Bachelor’s. That would be the only one in which I could earn a Bachelor’s.

@Alexandre I am from Michigan. Assuming there are the extra two years at UMich, UMich and Pitt would be the same price for the total cost (including price increases in the later years). Purdue offered scholarships and will be the cheapest of the three.

USWNR puts Michigan tied for #3 where Pitt and Purdue are tied for #9…so if prestige matters, Pitt and Purdue are not far off Michigan. Pitt does have a very active campus - lots of student orgs and sports though certainly you can’t compare to Michigan on football. You also have the city and free bus transport around town with your ID. Lots of interesting neighborhoods to explore - the Strip district, Southside, Shadyside, Squirrel Hill. My kids have been involved with marching band, professional frats, taking in concerts downtown…

For bio-related majors, one stat I consistently raise is that in terms of NIH funding, Pitt is #5 ($485MM) nationally (Michigan is #3 - $521MM) which translates into many opportunities to get involved on campus with research labs. Purdue is far down the list with $44MM fwiw. UPMC is right on campus (also Magee, Vets Hosp, Western Psych Hosp) but also you have biotech start ups and innovation labs near or on campus.

If you are a resident of Michigan, then I would go for Michigan.

Right now, I like Michigan for you. Michigan has the most flexible program, which means that if you would drop your initial goal and shift in a different direction (e.g. drop pre-Pharma for straight-up Chem or Bio with an eye to work in biotech) that change will be less expensive and probably need fewer adjustments in your academic program.

Right now, I don’t like Purdue for you because of the re-application process. What would you study at Purdue if you don’t make the cut? What GPA do you need to maintain to keep your scholarship? What options would you have if you slipped up one semester and lost that scholarship?

And you are correct that there are changes coming in the pharmacy business. Whatever your decision is for the next 5 to 7 years, you need to keep some thought on how you can stay flexible enough to deal with those changes when they hit your part of the world.

Based on the posted info., Pitt seems to be the clear winner if my understanding is correct in that you are a “direct admit” to your chosen program.

Next would be Michigan.

Purdue last because of the “weed-out system”.

Publisher, you are assuming that the program at Michigan is selective. Most programs, other than Ross, are relatively easy to access. Most programs (engineering, public affairs, pharmacy, PPE etc…) require 3.0-3.3 GPA. You are also assuming that the OP will not change his mind. While Pitt is a peer of Michigan’s in some programs, in the majority of programs, the two are not peers…nor are they peers overall. Finally, the OP has already made it clear that Michigan is a better fit. If attending Michigan is not more expensive, I would recommend attending it.

Good points. But Pitt has a healthy endowment, many strong programs & being a direct admit has value (maybe, I do not know for sure, less than being a direct admit to a business program/major).

I do not think that there is a wrong choice between Pitt & Michigan–just a better choice–as do you.

Thank you so much for all of your input! I really appreciate it!

@amandakayak Wow, thank you so much for researching the programs! Also, thank you for sharing your experiences with Pitt! I am happy to hear that your kids are doing so well there, and I am grateful for the firsthand account of life at Pitt.

@happymomof1 Thank you so much for the advice! I am not really sure what I would pick as a backup major (yikes!) There is a lot of advising and support at Purdue for those who need to switch from pre-pharmacy to a different major though (which could be viewed as both good and bad). The scholarship requires a 3.0 cumulative GPA and requires that I stay with the same major. If I lost the scholarship, though not ideal, Purdue would still be affordable.

@Alexandre @Publisher Thank you so much for your points of view! All of your reasons are completely valid and well-received.

By the way, I also got preferred admission from Michigan. When I researched it online, 35 undergraduates came in with preferred admission and 10 of the preferred admits went into pharmacy school. There is a list of requirements laid out by the college of pharmacy for preferred admits, and if all the requirements are met, the preferred admit will get in.