I am not in Michigan, I live in Ohio. Only three hours to campus, though, and ironically even out of state it was the cheapest option we had for her major (Food Science).
The first two years most students will spend fulfilling university gen ed requirements or prerequisites, with maybe a specialized class or two in their actual major. My junior did not come in with any AP or CCP credits, and will still graduate on time with a major, a minor and two concentrations. As a junior, she is taking almost all FS classes (including food engineering, which she is surprised she likes and is good at lol).
I don’t know anything about Broad, sorry, but it’s one of three schools that require secondary admission for most - the other two being engineering and nursing. I know it’s a relief to go in with program admission, though, which is why I preach direct admit nursing schools (my older daughter is a nurse). I think you get two swings for secondary admission, though - that’s just from reading posts in the parents’ group, though, so take my information with a grain of salt.
I think any campus is what you make of it. Mine is on the quiet side, but she has still made some friends (and still best friends with her freshman/sophomore roommate, even though they no longer live together). Sometimes I think the bigger the campus, the harder it is to make it feel smaller, so anything you can do to make that happen - clubs, jobs, etc - is a benefit. Some kids do Greek life (mine didn’t).
In terms of how geographically large the campus is … yeah, it’s huge lol. There is a bus system that can help, but honestly it’s just as easy (and sometimes quicker) to walk. It’s also Michigan, so can be brutally cold and snowy at times. But if you are from Chicago, you know all about dressing for the weather. It is a beautiful campus, though. I think on campus is generally safe, and Grand River (the main off-campus area) is okay as well. Street smarts, as always, are key.
No one really cares if you are from OOS, it just doesn’t come up except when it’s time to go home for breaks. I know there is a large group of students from the greater Chicago area. There will be a subset of students who still hang out with their high school friends, but that’s on them if they don’t branch out. There are only a few living-learning communities that are school-specific, and there are some roommate requirements (you may have to opt-out of it if you find a roommate that is not in the same LLC college, for example).
I think Broad is a solid choice for business. It might be one of the schools that requires at least one internship to graduate (that’s not a bad thing, just something to be aware of). My daughter’s major just recently made that a requirement for incoming freshmen, so I think it’s a trend that will continue. It helps set them up for life after college - my daughter’s second internship, this summer, will be at PepsiCo/Frito-Lay in Texas (gulp).
All in all, my junior is glad she chose Michigan State (she also was accepted at Purdue, Penn State and Ohio State among others). As a parent, I was pleasantly surprised at how helpful most staffers are and how easy it is to find information (the FB group is run by the university so between staff members and parents answering questions you can find out almost anything in minutes lol).
Any other questions, feel free to ask!
