Michigan State University Admission
Michigan State University Undergraduate Program
Michigan State University Application

The Facts

Michigan State University is a massive public school located in the town of East Lansing, Michigan.  It is home to a whopping 31,023 undergraduate students and over 10,000 graduate students.  The university is comprised of fourteen smaller colleges including schools of agriculture and natural resources, arts and letters, business, communications, education, engineering, human ecology, medicine, natural science, nursing, osteopathic medicine, social science, veterinary medicine, and military.  There is obviously an overwhelming emphasis on preprofessional studies, and many students enter into MSU already having a sense of which career they wish to pursue.  Some of the most popular majors include business marketing, communications, social sciences, engineering, and biological sciences.

Admission to MSU is actually quite competitive for such a large state school.  Last year, over 25,000 students applied for admission and approximately 17,690 were accepted; of those, 7,122 matriculated.  The admitted students had an average combined SAT score ranging from 1020 to 1270 and an average comprehensive ACT score ranging from 22 to 27.  Over 67% of those admitted were ranked in the top 25% of their high school graduating class.

The university has a manageable student to faculty ratio of 18:1, and most of the introductory classes are held in huge lecture halls with hundreds of students, however, the upper level classes tend to be significantly smaller.  The feedback about teachers is usually mixed; some students say that their teachers make an effort to get to know them and make themselves very available during office hours, but others say their professors would never even give them the time of day. The academics at MSU are what you make them; you can either slack off and take the easy road, or you can choose challenging classes that make you work for your grades.

The Social Scene

MSU students definitely know how to party, and the Greek scene is quite popular here.  Many students belong to fraternities and sororities, and the Greek houses love throwing rowdy bashes on the weekends, which are considered big social events on campus.  In fact, the school is known for parties that are notorious for getting way too out of hand--think “Animal House” rowdy.  The school also offers over 350 student-run clubs and organizations, and many students get involved in activities such as the rock-climbing club. 

Sports are a big deal on campus as well, and the school has a huge amount of both varsity and intramural teams.  Students love coming out to support their basketball and football teams, and of course, the games are always an occasion for partying.

The dating scene isn’t for those who like intimacy; expect random hookups at wild parties.  But hey, some people like holding a girl's hair back while she chucks into the toilet.  How romantic!

What’s Good

“The professors do care about us; they make sure you know when they have office hours so you can come and get help if you should need it.”

“The preprofessional programs here are fantastic and really help you get a head start on your career.”

“There is always a party happening here.  It’s impossible to be bored!”

What’s Bad

“The party scene here is disgusting.  There are people that will show up to a Monday class still wasted, or just not show up at all.”

“The school is just too big for its own good.  The campus is leviathan and it's really overwhelming.”

“If you are wishy-washy about what you want from college, this isn’t the place for you.  No one will guide you.”

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