Michigan Technological University

Michigan Tech was not originally a top choice for me, and I think that it isn’t a top choice for a lot of people. I know most don’t even know of its existence. The student to instructor ratio stays pretty low, as generally class sizes are small, so professors are able to provide more one-on-one time with students than at larger universities. There are also numerous extra curricular activities to participate in and meet the most incredible people. In the last few years of my studies, they started... Read More making a lot of headway on campus expansions, with new buildings and more to come. Michigan Tech also has such a unique environment being in the Upper Peninsula. There is a lot of snow, but the fall and summer are so beautiful as well.

Michigan Technological University is an amazing engineering college. The professors are amazing and have lots of respect and understanding for the students. Not only is the academic side amazing, the things you can do around campus are great. It's awesome if you love participating in outdoor recreation. A couple of complaints I have would be specific to certain professors. The only problem I can think of is how expensive tuition has gotten in the last couple of years, but that's about it, the living... Read More conditions and food are great as well.

While Michigan Technological University (MTU, or Tech) is known for its engineering programs, the psychology program is one of the lesser known treasures of this school. Not only does the landscape aid in the appeal of the school, but the psychology program is highly diverse with a great set of professors. The program is small (roughly 60 or so majors, with 30 or so minors, if I recall correctly), so it is not hard to make friends or study buddies. In addition to that, when one begins the program,... Read More often times those that are in Intro with you will be in your other classes as well. This is extremely helpful when trying to understand a professor's explanation of an assignment or when that one particular psychology vocab word just isn't coming to you. As a psychology student you also get a lot of free credits. Many times you'll hear those in an engineering program on campus say that they need to take this one class before they can go on to this other class, and while that is true for *some* psych courses, there are few generals and pre-req's that need to be taken care of. With using the free credits it's extremely simply to add a major (and maybe a semester or two to one's undergraduate career), or perhaps a minor or two instead. The courses are highly diverse, making it easy to not only take courses that are relevant to your interests (such as when I took Psychology of Death and Dying), but many of these courses count towards other aspects of one's degree as well (such as HASS - or whatever it has changed to, or a minor of some sort). It may not be the best program if one wishes to go into Clinical or Counseling, but if one wishes to perform research in their future then MTU is definitely a great place to go. There are plenty of research labs, along with research assistant positions. Also, a year of research is required (which is assisted by a professor), and at the end of the year a conference is attended where students can present what they examined; students even get a publication out of it! If Human Factors is what one is interested in, in addition to research, then Tech really is a great school. The Human Factors side of the program is also associated with an Enterprise (the Humane Interface Design Enterprise) where first-hand experience can be gained through developing and performing various research studies, while also working with real-world companies on a product they may wish to develop in the future!

Central Michigan University has a great physical therapy program. They have advanced technology and amazing teacher. They send 12 students to Michigan Tech. University and I was one of those students. Going to Michigan Tech was a huge change for me and very expensive. They did not provide a place for me to stay and did not give me much time to go visit Houghton's campus. It was difficult to find a place to live, but I managed. Being away from home is stressful, but it is also a great learning experience.... Read More

Michigan Tech is a wonderful place to obtain your education. The atmosphere is welcoming, the professors are there to make sure you succeed in not only in your class but in your degree. The educational experience the Engineering Department provided and taught me ways I am going to be able to contribute to society. There are many student activities provided to get involved outside the classroom, for example, wellness programs and resources, community service events, campus traditions, and leadership... Read More programs.

Having grown up in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, I developed a love and appreciation for the outdoors that greatly influenced my decision to enroll in Michigan Tech's Environmental Engineering program. Many of my classes are taught by professors who have had prior experience in industry who can provide insight from their personal experience as engineers. Instead of teaching straight from a textbook, I have been fortunate enough to have professors who base their instruction off of real-world scenarios... Read More that they previously encountered while on a job. Even as a summer intern about to enter my junior year, the personal insight I received over the past two years has been beyond helpful. Now that I'm an upperclassman, if I could go back and give myself advice when I was fist started college, I would have told myself to make weekly learning center appointments with math coaches even before classes start to get tough. The learning centers at MTU provide students with homework help in virtually all subjects on a walk-in basis or by appointment. After struggling for hours on my Calc II homework, I bit the bullet and went to the learning center for the first time. By the end of the semester, the coaches knew me by name and expected me on a regular basis. There is no better sense of accomplishment than getting the highest score on an exam, and I couldn't have done it without putting in the extra time in the learning center. If you are a nature-lover like myself, you will fall in love with the pristine beauty of the Keweenaw Peninsula. Whether your interests are in camping, hiking, waterfall-chasing or winter sports, Michigan Tech has a little bit of everything to offer its students, not to mention free entrance to sporting events, free and unlimited passes to Mont Ripley for skiers or boarders, and a free gym membership to work off all that dining hall food. In the fall, I highly recommend taking a trip north to Copper Harbor and enjoying the beautiful fall colors as the leaves begin to change. Over the winter, you will also have the chance to participate in Broomball games and Winter Carnival. You may have heard of Winter Carnival, but if you haven't, students spend weeks building massive snow sculptures around campus to be judged. Winter Carnival is something that has to be experienced- it's totally unique to Michigan Tech! Did I mention that Houghton received 340" of snow last year? Don't forget your parka and snowshoes! Above all, get involved, get outside, and study hard. Your experiences both inside and outside of lecture are going to stay with you throughout your career, so make the most of every second.