<p>I'm an admitted engineering student and I've never visited Michigan. My father has a business trip to Chicago in January and offered to take me along. How long does it take to drive from Chicago to Ann Arbor? I want to see campus highlights and possibly tour the engineering department. Any other suggestions? I'd love to meet some current students and even attend classes. Does Michigan have a visitation program for prospective students?</p>
<p>"Any other suggestions?"</p>
<p>Sign up for the tour/information session through their website.</p>
<p>i live in chicago and it would take you anywhere between 3 to 4 hours to drive to ann arbor</p>
<p>If you don't want to drive, you can take a train from the Loop (downtown), Union Station, that goes into downtown Ann Arbor. (Amtrak)</p>
<p>look into their campus day programs for admitted students.</p>
<p>As for highlights of the campus I would have to say go to the Diag and the M (located in the middle of the Diag), the Bell Tower, the Cube, the Union, ummm when you get there just ask anybody for directions to anywhere (michigan students are glad to help anybody out!) walk down State and South University and there are Campus Information Centers located with the Student Activities Building and Union on Central Campus. To see Engineering stuff you would have to take a bus from CCLittle to NCampus (I honestly can't help you out there too much sorry)! Have fun!</p>
<p>I hope you have seen cold weather Flstudent. Michigan is not pretty in January...take it from a desert fox like me!!! LOL </p>
<p>The drive from Chicago takes about 4-5 hours depending on traffic, weather conditions and how you drive. The train is more like 5 hours.</p>
<p>Definitely walk around State Street, Main Street, Liberty Street and South University Street. </p>
<p>Obviously make a serious trip to North Campus to see the Engineering Campus. Take the university Bus...it is free for all. There, you want to check out the Commons (the Engineering students' Union) and the Media Center (a digital library of sorts). Plus of course, you want to go into the various Engineering Buildings. Each Engineering discipline has its own building.</p>
<p>Eat at Zingermann's! </p>
<p>Walk around the Diag and the Union. Go to a couple of classes. You will not be asked to leave. </p>
<p>Talk to students (they are friendly). Walk into cafes. </p>
<p>Should you be interest in Biomedical Engineering, go talk to Professor James Miller. He is a friend of mine and a man of good character. Just tell him you are a friend of Alex Tabet (that's me). If you are interested in Civil Engineering, drop by my uncle's office. His name is Professor Antoine Naaman. Awesome guy. Both their offices are in G.G. Brown, the Civil and Mechanical Engineering Building. Even though BME now has its own state of the art building, Professor Miller will remain in G.G. Brown. Let me know in advance if you would like to meet them. I will give them a heads up.</p>
<p>You are in for a great visit Flstudent...if you make the effort.</p>
<p>WOW! Thanks to everyone for the advice. I guess I'll need to dig out my winter clothes and start making reservations. I lived in PA until I was 8. I remember cold weather, but I suspect Michigan is more intense. Hey if Alexandre (the desert fox) can handle it, I can too.
Alexandre: I will try to make those contacts and let you know dates once I've finalized my travel plans.<br>
Thanks to everyone on this thread and best wishes to all of you.</p>
<p>It takes more like 5 hours to get from Chicago to Ann Arbor. The train is a very reasonable option if you don't have a car in Chicago. It's cheap - and once you're on campus you really don't need a car. </p>
<p>Things to do in January...go to a hockey game, eat in a dorm, visit the library of your choice (Rackham is my favorite), hang out in cafes, buy Michigan stuff at Steve & Barry's on State St., go the the Media Union on North Campus, take a campus tour, check out free lectures (see the Campus Info website @ <a href="http://www.umich.edu/%7Einfo/%5B/url%5D">http://www.umich.edu/~info/</a>), eat at Big 10 Burrito, Pizza Bob's to see students - Zingerman's with your father, go to Border's bookstore at 10PM... </p>
<p>In terms of hotels, the closest to campus are the Campus Inn and Bell Tower. These are kind of expensive. The Michigan League also has rooms and is right on campus. Otherwise, you're stuck a couple of miles from campus where there are the usual chains. </p>
<p>Congratulations on your acceptance!</p>
<p>The business school also has accomodations. It might be professors and parents only, but it is worth checking out. The business school is only about a block from campus and is cheaper to stay than the Bell Tower. I stayed there as a parent. Check the Mich web site and call them up. Also, if you know anybody at the school, he may let you crash in his room.</p>
<p>TopCat is right...go to a Hockey game if you can. They are awesome. If not, go to a Women's gymnastics meet...those are...euh...nice too! LOL</p>
<p>FlStudent, I read in another post that you were still waiting to hear back from MIT and Dartmouth. I can understand why you would care about MIT. They are the best Engineering school in the World and Boston/Cambridge is awesome. But Dartmouth? They suck in Engineering. I hope you get into MIT, but if you can't, go for Michigan...you won't regret it.</p>
<p>By the way, my uncle who teaches at Michigan got his PhD from MIT. Smart b@stard he is! LOL</p>
<p>I know, I know.... My interest in Dartmouth doesn't fit. I'm amazed at how difficult it is to be consistently logical when making college decisions. I fell in love with Dartmouth a long time ago as a sophomore when I visited my uncle who was in grad school there. It was the first college I ever visited. I also had lots of contact with a nice coach and a Dartmouth engineering grad who encouraged me to apply ED. I was getting a little pressure from my family too. Since then I was lucky enough to visit MIT (the athletic coach and students there were incredibly nice) and the experience really changed my mind. MIT was incredible and it immediately became my first choice... I began to believe I had a shot at getting in. Last week I was deferred by both schools (mixed blessing), so I now have more time to think and plan. Incidently, I also loved my visit to GA Tech. So as you can see, whenever I visit a school I'm convinced I would be happy there.... That's why my dad wants me to visit Michigan soon. I guess I'm lucky to like so many schools but my decision may not be easy. I'd really like to meet your uncle Alexandre when I go to Michigan. I have a feeling my visit will be critical in my ultimate decision. Thanks, as always.</p>
<p>No problem, tell me when you are going to Ann Arbor, and I will give my uncle a heads up. You will have to arrange the meeting yourself of course, but he would at least be expecting you.</p>
<p>Definitely eat close to campus, you can't go wrong with Potbelly's and Zingermaan's. Also, I suggest trying to catch a student orchestrated event, such as a concert at the music school (macIntosh theatre has some great performances) or a theater event (I think the Vagina Monologues are being performed around this time, but I dunno if that's your thing :) ). Don't only walk around the campus and go through the buildings, but walk around town a lot too, Ann Arbor may seem small but there is a lot to do.</p>