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The University of Michigan Ann Arbor
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| Super Brilliant |
I love the University of Michigan. I don't want to leave, and I'd recommend it to anyone. I can't wait to send my kids here and come back for football games.
My perspective was not, however, always so rosy. When I got rejected from every school I wanted to go to, I didn't even know where Ann Arbor was, and I certainly had never considered living in or even visiting the flyover states. (If you can't tell, I'm one of the "asshole East Coast rich kids" that the other posters warn you about!) But with time, I've met some incredible people, had a blast going out in Ann Arbor, and learned much more about everything than if I had gone to one of the WASP havens I used to dream about.
Academically, Michigan LSA is a joke. Even 400 level math classes are easy As. Engineering is tougher: there's a lot of work, but at 300 level and above you get some pretty good grade inflation. In the 100-200s you just have to stick it out and let the pretenders fall by the wayside. And in the 500s, everyone gets an A, which looks pretty sweet for grad school apps.
If you want a high GPA, be prepared to fight for it. The UM College of Engineering is full of kids like me who are bitter because they got rejected from MIT et al and are overqualified for this school. It can get pretty ugly at the top.
If you don't want a high GPA, then your life is pretty easy. You can coast on a 3.2 and go out 5 nights a week.
For the most part, the profs are a mix. my LSA teachers were a joke, i can't believe they get paid 100k/yr. Many engineering guys can't speak english, and most suck at teaching, but honestly if you need to go understand lectures to learn, you're gonna have problems. And it's not like it's different at other top engineering schools. They're good schools because of research output, and that's what these people are here to do.
Some tests were hard as hell, most are reasonable to easy. The most difficulty I've had has been in groups where the other people don't speak English or are from Michigan (in either case, they can't write worth a damn). Most of my friends feel the same way. Whatever the case may be, I've learned to work with all kinds of people, and that's a good thing.
One final point: take french/spanish 101/102 in the basement of the MLB. you can thank me later.
Socially, UM is very easy going relative to what I experienced growing up in an NYC suburb. I guess compared to farmland, Ann Arbor is unfriendly, but these whiners just need to get thicker skin.
The biggest adjustment I had to make was realizing that you can't make fun of in-state kids (or be sarcastic around them) because they just don't get it. Also, they cannot seem to understand people being reserved and not wanting to talk to everyone they meet. And then, when they become friends with you, they are shocked that you're actually a d**k/b**ch to your friends. Chalk it up to differences in culture.
Another thing you'll notice if you're from out of state is that people here think Michigan is really as good as Harvard. It's sickening to hear them go on and on about how elite we are as students -- when they got a 1350 on the SATs and say 'granite' instead of 'granted' in conversation. This school is FULL of kids who think they're brilliant, when only a few are. Don't let it get to you.
Parties run the gamut, frats can be good, some bars are good if you have a good ID. A lot of people think they are really good at beer pong/beruit, but few are. A nice thing about Ann Arbor is that you don't pay to get into parties.
Football season is ridiculous. Get tickets whether you like sports or not. I made the mistake of not getting them freshman year because I hate football, but in the end I just had to pay out my ass to get them from scalpers (aka other students). Hockey is good too, gives you something to do before pregaming.
A lot of the reviews here talk about kids with money. I guess I come from a wealthy place, because when I arrived here the first thing I noticed is how many people don't drive German cars. There's a mix, just like there is at any expensive school. And, if you want to, it's pretty easy to fake being rich in college, considering we all live like slobs.
Truth be told, there's something for everyone. Rich kids who act like it, rich kids who don't, hipsters, etc. You'll find something you like, and you can try just about anything. In fact, if you had told me 3 years ago that I'd have the friends I do today, I'd never have believed you.
One thing that all out of state kids hate is the schedule. A 9 day Christmas break is insulting, and not getting off the Wednesday before Thanksgiving is pretty lame. BUT, you do get done the last week of April, which is kinda cool.
And be prepared for it to be COLD. I live in the Northeast, but it is nothing like Michigan. The wind is brutal, it can really kill the nightlife sometimes. | Perceived Campus Safety: A+, Individual Value: D- | | | |
| | Jun 12 2008 | 3rd Year Male --
Class 2009 | | Blog it!Blog about this comment from your webpage or Blog, or MySpace account:
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| Quite Bright | Michigan provides a great education while still having a great social life. The city of Ann Arbor provides lots to do, even beyond drinking and parties. All different types of people attend so no matter what you are into you will find people with the same interests. | Social Life: A+, Campus Aesthetics: B- | | | |
| | May 24 2008 | 3rd Year Male --
Class 2010 | | Blog it!Blog about this comment from your webpage or Blog, or MySpace account:
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| Not so bright |
I wasn't particularly thrilled when I was attending the University, due to the difficulty of my curriculum. It seemed that people were studying all day and night, check out the engineering library(Duderstadt), it's open 24 hours a day 7 days a week, and people sleep, eat in there. Extra-curriculars are plentiful, there's a club and team for anything and everything you could want. As a minority student(Asian American) and Out of state student, I felt very comfortable here, there aren't as many racial cliques here as many other elite Universities. My only problem was that, I was pushing myself too hard with the classes to thoroughly enjoy a lot of these amazing extra-curricular activities, it seemed like everybody else were smarter than me. I was involved in high level research in my freshman year and sophomore year through the UROP program(one of the best in the country)
With that said, Michigan offers so many opportunities for you to succeed, the resources and programs available to undergrduate students are second to none. Job placement is also as good as any ivy league University, all the major consulting and investment banks recruit here and heavily. If you are an engineering major you are guaranteed a job by graduation.
I've also heard that many people are concerned about class sizes at Michigan, it's really a myth, with the exception of the first year intro classes, which are big anywhere you go, most classes are around 20-30 people. And even the intro classes have sub-sections for discussions that are 10-20 people. Check out the LSA profile, they tell you the class sizes. Furthermore, the freshman seminar classes are all small.
I have been in the professional consulting world for 2 years now, and my Michigan degree has opened so many doors for me, everywhere I go I am respected because of my degree, I didn't realize how prestigious Michigan is until I graduated. I'm about to pursue an MBA, and Michigan undergrads are #11 on the all time feeder list for Harvard Business school. Go Blue! | Education Quality: A+, Faculty Accessibility: A- | | | |
| | May 10 2008 | 4th Year Male --
Class 2006 | | Blog it!Blog about this comment from your webpage or Blog, or MySpace account:
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| Bright |
My first year experience at UM wasn't great. I felt anonymous and isolated for much of the time. But classes were generally good, and I was lucky to have a few great GSIs and professors. The number of annoying East Coast B-school kids at UM is kind of depressing, and there are WAY too many sororities and fraternities. One positive aspect is the easy access to computers and technology at UM. There are computer labs in all of the dorms (I'm pretty sure) as well as in Angell Hall and a few of the libraries. Students here drink a ton of alcohol so if you're not a heavy drinker, you'll either become one or have to look for fun elsewhere.
I've decided to stick it out here at UM because of the challenging and interesting academics. You really have to be self motivated to succeed and feel comfortable here. | Education Quality: A, Social Life: C | | | |
| | Apr 29 2008 | 1st Year Female --
Class 2011 | | Blog it!Blog about this comment from your webpage or Blog, or MySpace account:
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