U of M vs. Purdue

Danja
Sun, 06 Apr 2008 21:41:54 +0000

Hi guys,

I’ve narrowed down my college search to the two schools mentioned in the title. I’m trying to decide which one to go to. I live in Indiana and purdue offered to pay $10,750 of the roughly $17,000 annual cost (including tuition, textbooks, etc). U of M on the other hand has not offered anything. My parents are currently writing on my behalf, stating that although our financial situation is secure, we are Russian immigrants and the price of U of M would put a pretty heavy strain on our family income. Do you think the university is likely to offer a scholarship?

I plan to major in biochemistry. At Purdue, students are able to do research with professors as early as freshman year if they want to. Is this possible at U of M? Is U of M’s placement into grad school significantly higher than Purdue’s for biochemistry majors? What about job placement?

Overall, the pros and cons of each school:

U of M:

great reputation

ice rink on campus for intramural hockey

diverse student body

college town

proximity to Detroit (Red Wings, not that I’d have the spare money to go to the games though)

accepted into honors college

prohibitively expensive

nobody I know is going

perhaps so big that I could get lost and not find opportunities for research

Purdue:

extremely cheap

early research opportunities

accepted into honors college

familiar and comfortable with the campus

will get credit for classes taken within the Purdue system this year

girlfriend of 4 years going to Purdue

not as much of a name brand (though I hear it’s improving out west)

peraps a less diverse student body

In Indiana

Do you guys think it’s worth it for me to go to U of M?