I just finished my college visits for my safety (Indiana University w/ Hutton Honors college) and what I thought was my dream school (University of Michigan Ann Arbor). I had my hopes dead set on Michigan, but I absolutely hated it. It just wasn’t what I thought it would be. I loved Indiana and didn’t want to leave.
I feel like I could get into Michigan (legacy, 4.0 w/ many AP’s, 33 ACT, no financial aid needed, etc) and I get into Indiana’s honors college automatically. I’m a junior in high school and I want to major in biology and later genetic counseling for a master’s.
I’m honestly not sure what to think. Is it a mistake if I end up choosing Indiana over a more prestigious school just because I like it there? I don’t want to pass up a better education but I also want to be happy.
What appealed to me about Indiana was not only how pretty it was, but I felt safe despite the lack of blue lights. At Michigan the campus just felt too integrated into Ann Arbor. I’m from Chicago so I should be used to it, but it wasn’t for me. People at Indiana were nicer and I know I would get top-notch classes and other opportunities from the honors college and at Michigan I would be an average student.
Everyone I know who went to Indiana liked it, but everyone who went to Michigan loved it and was proud to go. What am I not seeing that everyone else is? Is it stupid to pass up Michigan if I get in for a less selective school?
You carefully visited Michigan and didn’t like it for all of the reasons given. You are entitled not to like it. Personally, I didn’t care for it either. Indiana is fine for what you want to do. Go where you feel most comfortable.
You are a junior. You don’t need to decide anything yet. Apply to both of these and to anywhere else you feel like.
See what the acceptances and aid packages look like next spring.
And yes, it is perfectly OK to prefer Indiana over Michigan! No doubt at all about that!
Either school would be strong enough to get you into a very good Master’s program (assuming that you do very well as an undergrad – which looks likely given your high school record). I really don’t see any problem at all with your going to Indiana for undergrad.
I would say definitely apply to Indiana, consider applying to a range of other schools, and keep in mind that you have a year to decide where to attend.
That seems like a weird reason to not like Michigan. The campus is surrounded by Ann Arbor, yes, but it is very much a college oriented town. Almost all the businesses within walking distance of campus are oriented toward students (restaurants, bars, bookstores, etc). The crime rate is low. Michigan is a very safe campus (far safer than any college in Chicago, I suspect). So… I guess you feel how your feel, but your reasons don’t seem very logical to me.
I got my PhD from Michigan and I absolutely loved my time there. Both the school and AA are great. My daughter is currently a sophomore at IU and she is really enjoying it. I personally think Bloomington is a wonderful city and the campus is one of the most beautiful campuses I have ever been to. The only better campus is Stanford. My son just got accepted to both IU and UM. IU for physics and UM for engineering. He is OOS for both and the merit money from IU is much better from UM. I would be happy if he picks either but the only negative to IU for him is that if he decides he does not like Physics they do not have engineering.
They’re very similar schools, UM overall is just a better school. I’m a member of hutton, and it hasn’t really changed my experience. I literally have had the same professor for a hutton class and a non hutton class. Having friends at UM and having visited the campus vibe is very similar. I’d say that if you like one from a fit perspective you’ll like the other.
A few years ago I was at a parent night put on by our high school and they had the Director of Admissions from one of the area colleges there to speak to everyone. Something he said really stood out to me and I found it true for me and my D found it to be true for her. Every year he calls incoming Freshman at his school (smaller college) and asks them why they picked to go there. Overwhelmingly the response comes back as “it just felt right.” He’s worked at a few different schools but he said the answer is usually the same.
When I asked my D why she picked IU over the other schools she was accepted into her answer was “it just feels like the right place for me.” We still factored in strength of program, cost, etc. so I’m not saying to ignore those things but all things else being equal, the feel that you get and where you feel most comfortable is something I wouldn’t ignore.
I would say Michigan is the far superior school. I would not choose Indiana over Michigan being that you are out-of-state, unless you want business and you got into Kelley but not Ross. Or if you got into Indiana Jacobs school of music. Or if cost was an issue and Indiana was less expensive. But none of factors seem to be the case here. I would revisit Michigan again either In the Fall or at Admitted Student Day (Campus Day) ( assuming that you get in, which is no guarantee). Because as you mature and learn more about colleges over the next year your feeling may change.
DS was admitted directly to both Ross and Kelley. We are OOS for both. IU gave him merit money equal to about half tuition, UMich gave him nothing. We don’t qualify for aide and UMich was almost 20k more than IU before the scholarship. DS is now a sophomore at IU-he has had an amazing experience there and has had many opportunities. He is in Kelley honors and already has an internship this summer. Would he have had the same opportunities at Mich? Maybe, but he made this work for him and took advantage of everything IU and Kelley had to offer!
DS was admitted directly to both Ross and Kelley. We are OOS for both. IU gave him merit money equal to about half tuition, UMich gave him nothing. We don’t qualify for aide and UMich was almost 20k more than IU before the scholarship. DS is now a sophomore at IU-he has had an amazing experience there and has had many opportunities. He is in Kelley honors and already has an internship this summer. Would he have had the same opportunities at Mich? Maybe, but he made this work for him and took advantage of everything IU and Kelley had to offer!
Pick the place where you will be happy. While, yes, Michigan is a better ranked school, the reality is the education you get is much more reliant on what you put into it rather than where the school ranks. Weigh all the factors, but trust your gut. You are unlikely to get much merit money from Michigan, but IU is quite generous. My son will be going to IU in the fall, despite getting into a few other higher ranked schools. It is was just the right fit. I’d also encourage you to look at Iowa. We’ve been impressed with them as well in the application process.
Browns! You didn’t mention what type of engineering your son might be interested in, but there is now an engineering program at IU. I don’t recall if it started this year or last. https://www.engineering.indiana.edu/
I’m very familiar with both UMich & IU. I have no trouble believing someone could like IU a lot more. It’s far more beautiful, the students are nicer & less pretentious, town is safer. If you like IU better, go for it!
I am an IU graduate (chemistry) and took honors classes back in the days before an honors college.
The honors college at IU will be competitive. The campus is one of the most beautiful in the country, especially in the fall and spring which is much of the time you spend there. It is hot, but idyllic, in the summer.
One of my daughters was accepted to both Cornell and Syracuse for Architecture. Both of these schools are considered the very top for this program. I thought, for sure, that she would select Cornell simply because of the prestige of it being Ivy (and ranked #1 by Architecture Digest). To most, it would seem like a no brainer. Well, she picked Syracuse because she preferred so many things about it over Cornell. These were subjective qualities of the school that don’t work their way into a review on paper. She felt that she would be one of many brilliant kids at Cornell but she had an opportunity to be a super star at Syracuse. And, she has. She has won national scholarships and had internships every summer since freshman year. She calls with excitement in her voice. As a parent, it means a lot to know how happy she is. One of the observations that she made at Cornell, after her last visit, was that she didn’t see many people smiling. That sat with her. She wanted to be somewhere where people were smiling. Seems simple, doesn’t it. At the end of the day, don’t let other’s opinions or a desire to attend a more prestigious school influence you. Only you know how you feel. If you are bright, hard working and happy, you will find success wherever you choose to go. Good luck.