Well, you could not have picked a worse county in Michigan to get ticketed for an MIP. I STRONGLY suggest you get an attorney to help you with this.
In Ottawa County, what you are looking at with your MIP is either a misdemeanor conviction (which can adversely affect your loans, insurance, educational plans, employment opportunities, travel) OR, if this MIP is your first offense, you are looking at a diversion program with some of the toughest diversion terms in Michigan to satisfy, including a probationary period of up to two years.
If you satisfy the terms of the diversion program, then your MIP will be discharged and dismissed and there will be no public record of it to report on most school and job applications (if you have plans to go into a medical, law enforcement, law, or educational field, you often must report even dismissed charges, however). If you don't satisfy the terms of the diversion program or you reoffend, you can be jailed and/or you will wind up with the MIP misdemeanor entered on your record.
Unfortunately, it does not matter how great a student you are or how uncharacteristic the drinking was or what your plans for the summer are or what your plans for the future may be, although any attorney you hire will probably stress these facts to the prosecuting attorney.
Again, I recommend you contact an attorney in Ottawa County as soon as possible. Some of the attorneys in the area may offer student discounts or payment plans, if money is an issue for you.
And, if you are unable to line up an attorney's appointment before your arraignment, at least contact one or more and get some advice over the phone prior to this first court appearance. The attorneys you contact will almost certainly advise that you plead NOT GUILTY at the arraignment.
Then have an attorney with you for the subsequent pretrial conference and hearing.
Your attorney will review the facts and the ticket to see if there is any way the ticket can be dismissed outright (on some technicality, perhaps) and the attorney can work to see that diversion is offered and that the terms of the program offered are as favorable as they can possibly be in a county known for being tough on young alcohol offenders.
But, again and importantly, I do not recommend that you try to handle this on your own. In other counties in Michigan, maybe, but not in Ottawa. Get an attorney.
Good luck.
