Anonymous
11/23/2025 19:52
Subject: Michigan State as a Dream School
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:For those that don't know, what exactly is "very, very midwestern in culture"?
As a midwesterner I wonder myself. I don't even know what midwestern culture is. I mean, I know the stupid stereotypes.
I wouldn't be looking to that person for insights.
MSU is a highly rated university. I would be delighted if my kid went there.
Which are? Clueless even though lived there for YEARS.
Depending on where people are from, I guess, but backwards, conservative, lesser than. Living in Boston, I really felt it. They would smile on the Midwest as if on a simple, less worldly younger brother.
As for culture, sure, there are general trends. Less confrontational maybe, talks to strangers (just like lots of places). But there are a lot of different cities with a lot of cultural diversity, and the region stretches nearly a thousand miles and from Canada to the South. Lots of diversity
Anonymous
11/23/2025 19:40
Subject: Michigan State as a Dream School
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:My DH is from the state and while he went to UMich his siblings went to Michigan State. They have all been successful but the main difference is the siblings have stayed in the Midwest.
I'm from Michigan and this resonates with me. Most of the folks who went to State are still there, none of the people I went to hs with who went to U fo M are still in Michigan (although some are in Chicago, which is, of course, still the Midwest).
DP. Also from Michigan, went to MSU, and most of my group from college who also grew up there left after graduation. We are currently in DC, AZ, CA, FL, NY, IL (Chicago), WA, VA, CO, Australia, and the UK. None of my family members who attended MSU stayed in MI either. There will always be a number of home-grown Spartans who stay in state after graduation but it likely has more to do with their personalities and family than the fact that they attended MSU (as is probably true for many big state schools). At least, that seems to be the dividing line between those who left and those who stayed based on my sample pool (same holds true for the people I know who attended UofM now that I think about it). MSU is a huge school and a student will be able to find their people, including people who have goals and aspirations that reach beyond MI.
Anonymous
11/23/2025 18:02
Subject: Michigan State as a Dream School
I'm a UofM grad and asked my kid to apply last year as a safety to her first choice of UMD. She got a great merit plus extra $5k for study abroad. We have family nearby and I know many people who are successful graduates. There is nothing wrong with the school and the naysayers on here are terrible snobs.
Anonymous
11/23/2025 17:57
Subject: Michigan State as a Dream School
Anonymous wrote:Midwestern culture is the old Buffalo Wild Wings slogan…beer, wings, sports.
True “Southern Western Michigan” perhaps if you throw in a few multi-level marketing schemes and some Calvinism.
Anonymous
11/23/2025 17:53
Subject: Michigan State as a Dream School
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Except for a few wealthy suburbs, chasing prestige via your college choice is pretty rare in Michigan. Some of the smartest people I know didn’t even consider U of Mich-Ann Arbor. MSU, Western Mich, Wayne State, Grand Valley State etc are considered by many to be just fine.
—long time Michigan resident
This is completely inaccurate.
Totally agree, this is not true. There is a pecking order among legacy Big 10 schools, for one thing, and pretty much everyone is aware of it.
Anonymous
11/23/2025 17:33
Subject: Michigan State as a Dream School
Anonymous wrote:Except for a few wealthy suburbs, chasing prestige via your college choice is pretty rare in Michigan. Some of the smartest people I know didn’t even consider U of Mich-Ann Arbor. MSU, Western Mich, Wayne State, Grand Valley State etc are considered by many to be just fine.
—long time Michigan resident
This is completely inaccurate.
Anonymous
11/23/2025 17:32
Subject: Michigan State as a Dream School
Anonymous wrote:A degree mill in the middle of nowhere with possibly the worst weather in the country during the academic year.
What? No. That's Northern MI, lol.
Anonymous
11/23/2025 17:28
Subject: Michigan State as a Dream School
Anonymous wrote:I’m a Michigan State grad and I grew up in the Northeast. I chose it because I loved the campus, sports and community, particularly the Midwest vibe. Having spent my childhood on the east coast, I wanted college to be more down to earth with nicer kids, less superficial. I found it at MSU vs schools that pulled a lot from the east coast at the time (Wisconsin, Indiana, certainly Michigan).
Things may have changed now since MSU is pulling more OOS kids. College was incredible and I moved to New York right after graduation.
Really? Because I see zero to love about that campus. Just big ugly generic buildings with roads in between and you really can't get from one class to the other because the campus is so spread out and big.
Anonymous
11/23/2025 17:25
Subject: Michigan State as a Dream School
Anonymous wrote:My DH is from the state and while he went to UMich his siblings went to Michigan State. They have all been successful but the main difference is the siblings have stayed in the Midwest.
I'm from Michigan and this resonates with me. Most of the folks who went to State are still there, none of the people I went to hs with who went to U fo M are still in Michigan (although some are in Chicago, which is, of course, still the Midwest).
Anonymous
11/23/2025 17:22
Subject: Michigan State as a Dream School
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Midwestern culture is the old Buffalo Wild Wings slogan…beer, wings, sports.
Is this any different than the kids at Indiana and Ohio State? My daughter loved visiting there and thought the kids were great.
No.
Anonymous
11/23/2025 17:21
Subject: Michigan State as a Dream School
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I grew up in Southwestern Michigan. I think of Michigan State as where people who can't get in at U of M go. Assuming they are smart enough to not have to go to Northern MI or Eastern MI instead. Or WMU. Which is not that smart. Michigan State was for the high-average students who needed in-state tuition.
Hierarchy for people from Michigan: U of M, Mich State, WMU, then trailing way way behind are Northern (I knew one person who went there, they were lucky to get into a 4 yr, lol, and I knew one person who went to Eastern because they were into forensics/debate and Eastern had a program). Most people I knew went to U of M if smart, and if not Mich State. Or WMU. Many, many went there, because I lived in Southwestern MI, and that is where WMU is.
Average to good students with money went to the small private liberal arts schools like Hope (obviously religious), Alma, Kalamazoo, Calvin (very obviously religious), etc. Or out-of-state but nearby, like Univ of Wisconsin Madison or Purdue or something. Really good students with lots of money went to fancy places like U of Chicago or Oberlin.
Bottom line: Michigan State = average students. Highish side of average. But average. And it is very, very midwestern in culture.
Your info is 30 years out of date.
Nephew at K, many friends have kids at WMU, entire family lives in Kalamazoo, and I'm there several times per year and occasionally attend a Western game -- so no it isn't.
Anonymous
11/23/2025 17:00
Subject: Michigan State as a Dream School
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:A degree mill in the middle of nowhere with possibly the worst weather in the country during the academic year.
It’s 10 minutes from the state capitol building. During my senior year I was working full time as a legislative aide while taking classes. I realize we are spoiled living in the DC area where this arrangement is also possible, but most kids don’t want to go to college in their own backyard.
Who doesn't dream of working for backwater pols in a flyover state capital. lol
Generally people like you who aren't from big cities but then migrate to them so they can sneer at others.
Anonymous
11/23/2025 16:58
Subject: Michigan State as a Dream School
Anonymous wrote:PP. I forgot the best tip I know about MSU (and heard it applies to Michigan as well but don't have personal experience). This tip I actually found out about on DCUM.
https://veterans.msu.edu/funding
"It's important to note that MSU extends in-state tuition to most of our military-connected students, including dependents. To learn more about that policy, visit our In-State Tuition page linked..."
You're welcome. I've made it my mission to post that everywhere any time someone mentions MSU. Our DS went to MSU, and we didn't hear about this at any accepted students day, orientation, etc. I found out quite by accident--and DH and I are both veterans. We appealed for retroactive tuition reimbursement and were given partial--better than nothing--but their reasoning was pretty lame.
Anyway, it's a great school. DS has a good job, enjoyed his time there, and MSU had given him an academic scholarship which they continued to honor even after we started paying in state tuition. Really can't complain about that.
Also, the business school is very good--one of their programs consistently ranks No1
Anonymous
11/23/2025 16:54
Subject: Michigan State as a Dream School
Anonymous wrote:I grew up in Southwestern Michigan. I think of Michigan State as where people who can't get in at U of M go. Assuming they are smart enough to not have to go to Northern MI or Eastern MI instead. Or WMU. Which is not that smart. Michigan State was for the high-average students who needed in-state tuition.
Hierarchy for people from Michigan: U of M, Mich State, WMU, then trailing way way behind are Northern (I knew one person who went there, they were lucky to get into a 4 yr, lol, and I knew one person who went to Eastern because they were into forensics/debate and Eastern had a program). Most people I knew went to U of M if smart, and if not Mich State. Or WMU. Many, many went there, because I lived in Southwestern MI, and that is where WMU is.
Average to good students with money went to the small private liberal arts schools like Hope (obviously religious), Alma, Kalamazoo, Calvin (very obviously religious), etc. Or out-of-state but nearby, like Univ of Wisconsin Madison or Purdue or something. Really good students with lots of money went to fancy places like U of Chicago or Oberlin.
Bottom line: Michigan State = average students. Highish side of average. But average. And it is very, very midwestern in culture.
This is very outdated info.
Anonymous
11/23/2025 16:52
Subject: Michigan State as a Dream School
Anonymous wrote:Go Green! Spartans have a good network and alums are friendly
+100