<p>Which city is better. I was in Ann Arbor a few days ago and it was really impressive. Columbus on the other hand seemed kind of trashy. Also, is ohio state still a mess with all of that construction I saw over the summer? Looked ugly to me. Btw I am probably going to OSU, not trying to bash.</p>
<p>You couldn’t be more wrong, not trying to offend. Columbus is a major metropolitan area. Downtown is about as pristine as it gets. The Short North is a beautiful neighborhood connecting downtown and OSU. There is a good amount of construction completed, though some remains. Columbus is surrounded by a multitude of affluent suburbs with the most upscale shopping in the state of Ohio. Columbus is also home to a slew of major corporations and is extremely economically diverse. The metro area has pretty much every amenity you could ask for. As someone who has spent much time in both cities, I can say from experience that Columbus is a much more impressive city. The two are almost incomparable, considering their sizes. Ann arbor is nice, but MUCH smaller and much more chaotic. </p>
<p>Here is a good video outlining Columbus: [Check</a> US Out - YouTube](<a href=“- YouTube”>- YouTube)</p>
<p>You want a nice and large city in Michigan, try Grand Rapids. Hope this helped.</p>
<p>Thanks, that did help. I’m a Clevelander and don’t want to be in a city like that again in my life. Really is “The Mistake on the Lake”. Am I correct in saying that the area of columbus that borders Ohio State to the west is a bad area?</p>
<p>I can see why the campus area right now would appear trashy, and frankly, most of the students here are irritated by the construction too. There is actually more planned in the next few years in addition to the many projects going on right now, so it seems like the construction is never-ending. There are also some patchy areas of high street right now, and some areas near-ish to campus can be a little unsafe. </p>
<p>That said, the city of Columbus is pretty awesome, and I would happily live here post-college. The Short North and the actual city itself are very nice, and campus is a lot more than construction.</p>
<p>Ann Arbor is beautiful and home to the University of Michigan Wolverines. (so it’s a vibrant, eventful college town) </p>
<p>It has a lot of culture there, and it’s one of the nation’s top cities to live, I think. </p>
<p>I don’t know much about Columbus, though.</p>
<p>At OSU, the area to the East is sketchy and there are other some other pockets of poor-looking housing around. That said, there are also many upscale areas and the campus itself is great.</p>
<p>Experience Columbus (28 video clips)</p>
<p><a href=“Experience Columbus - YouTube”>Experience Columbus - YouTube;
<p>Go Bucks!! :)</p>
<p>When my son first showed an interest in Michigan, I was excited about getting the chance to visit Ann Arbor–I had heard many nice things about the city. We visited during Spring Break of his junior year–the second week of April. It was. . . freezing–in the mid teens. The tour guide would point to a building on a map while we were all gathered inside, and tell us to run as fast as we could to that particular building and meet in the lobby, where the tour would continue. This is how the entire day went–it was so cold that our skin would start burning the moment we were outside. After he was accepted, we wanted to revisit for a more thorough tour, but during classes so that he could sit-in on one. We went during the very last week of school–and it was still cold and drab. The grass was brown, there were no leaves on the trees, all of the fountains were shut down with no water. I’m sure that the campus and city must be beautiful during the first few weeks of school–I bet that September is gorgeous–but I went to school in California where Spring classes meant cut-offs and tee shirts and playing frisbee–and here I was in long johns and a down parka. Having three seperate campuses–his classes would be several miles north, up a high, winding hill, then the main campus, and then the sports complex, quite a bit farther south–seemed like it would be difficult to play late night basketball, or hit the fun spots in the city. Anyway, my daughter is an explorer and has really gotten to know the city of Columbus quite well–and introduced us to German Village, the arena district, the Short North and many of the nearby areas–we have really enjoyed visiting these places–year-round. It’s a shame that Ann Arbor is so dismal and grey when school is in session and nice in the summer and early Fall–I think that it would make a huge difference in how much one can get out and enjoy the city.</p>
<p>I personally love Ann Arbor. I think it’s a great college town with a lot going on for students in terms of music, art, etc. I have only been to Columbus a few times, but it’s a much bigger city than Ann Arbor. In that respect it is more like Cleveland. Btw, Cleveland has a lot going for it. Playhouse Square is said to be the second largest theater district in the country, second to NYC. The Cleveland Orchestra is one the “big five” American orchestras. Cleveland’s museums are some of the best in the country, including the Art Museum, Science Center and Museum of Natural History. The Cleveland Metroparks are an extensive system of nature preserves surrounding greater Cleveland, referred to as the ‘Emerald Necklace’.</p>
<p>Keep in mind there will be a huge difference in cost as an Ohio resident between the schools. </p>
<p>I doubt that Columbus is any different from Ann Arbor in the winter in terms of weather. It does get dark and dismal in January in the mid-west/north east. I am a U of M grad, btw. My experiences differed from above poster. Fall, spring and summer were gorgeous in Ann Arbor when I attended. Weather can change quickly there though.</p>
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<p>Weather-wise, Columbus is slightly warmer than Ann Arbor based on the actual average winter month temperatures (I will leave you guys to google the data yourselves). Without getting too much into the details, just take my words really. Sparkeye7 (grew up 20 minutes outside of Ann Arbor) thinks Columbus is heaven in terms of overall quality of life! :)</p>
<p>Ann Arbor is a great college town; however, not only does tOSU possess a traditional college campus, its surrounding neighborhoods also have so much more to offer than Ann Arbor. Besides the University District, Short North, Little Italy, German Village, Arena District, Japanese Plaza, Easton Town Center, Theatre district, Downtown Urban Arts Lazarus Center,…etc., just to name a few - each niche provides an unparalleled unique experience for the students and local residents. Above all, Ohio State’s campus is much easier to navigate throughout than Michigan campus which is not as pedestrian friendly imho. And for those unfortunate music and engineering U of M students, two hours of uphill walk in the stormy winter from the North Campus to Central is not unheard of, especially when the school buses simply go caput. Normally traveling time between the campuses by bus is around 25 minutes w/o traffic, 30 to 45 mins with traffic.</p>
<p>This is certainly not a homie talking! For whatever is worth, I am also an alumnus of Michigan State (MSU). 
And it is my opinion that both MSU and tOSU campus are easier to maneuver than Michigan as Ann Arbor is often congested, and bordered by narrow street ways both in and around the campus area.</p>
<p>Last but not least, my relatives live in Akron / Cleveland area which is more similar to Detroit than Columbus demographically. In short, Columbus is the Capital, vibrant with diverse economy; whereas Cleveland and Detroit still epitomize Rust Belt economy imho.</p>
<p>A small detail: although OSU’s academic reputation is improving, U of M is a better school academically. OSU is a good school and since OP is instate, it is an excellent choice. Bringing a car to Ann Arbor is not necessary, everything was in walking distance for me.</p>
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<p>Unless we are talking about Investment Banking in particular or graduate level education, it is my opinion that the difference in terms of academic quality between Ohio State and Michigan undergrad is negligible.</p>
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<p>Certainly agree! Save that extra $100k for graduate school, be it medical, law or MBA.</p>
<p>^ You are entitled to your opinion regarding OSU vs U of M undergrad. I respectfully disagree.</p>
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<p>No problem! :)</p>
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<p>Well, respectful or not, that doesn’t change the fact that you’re wrong. OSU is fast becoming a world leader in higher education, and the superior choice over that little school up north.</p>
<p>C’mon… look at the SAT averages, you are fooling yourself.</p>
<p>U of Michigan 25-75% range:
Critical Reading - 630-730
Math - 670-770</p>
<p>Ohio State 25-75% range:
Critical Reading - 540-660
Math - 600-700</p>
<p>US News Ranking:
Michigan - 29
Ohio State - 56</p>
<p>Ann Arbor is a fabulous town, too. Just really vibrant, tons to do, lots of smart people to do it with.</p>
<p>Oh yes, because the US News rankings are worth anything… oh right, they are absolutely meaningless metrics. </p>
<p>Numbers like those fail to really give an adequate picture (and fyi, OSU and Michigan average ACT scores are less than a point different, 28.1 vs. 29). Ohio State has advanced leaps and bounds (remember that they were open admission only 15 years ago) and is poised to become the leading research institution in the world. Indeed, Ohio State currently ranks second in the country in industry sponsored research, has one of the top ranked medical centers in the country, and is one of the top producers of U.S. Fulbright recipients.</p>
<p>And furthermore, Ohio State is by a large margin the most generous of the Big 10 schools with regards to merit aid, with roughly 70% of students receiving some amount of gift aid (grants, etc. that do not have to be repaid). Michigan doesn’t even come close.</p>
<p>That little school up north tries hard enough, but c’mon. The real leaders of tomorrow wear scarlet and grey.</p>
<p>“Well, respectful or not, that doesn’t change the fact that you’re wrong. OSU is fast becoming a world leader in higher education, and the superior choice over that little school up north.” </p>
<p>@CTTE, young grasshopper, take a lesson in tact and grace from Sparkeye7.</p>
<p>Try as you may, you will not win this one.</p>
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<p>You’re right. I guess I can’t force you to remove the fingers in your ears and reconsider your misconceptions. No matter, the proof is in the pudding. Ohio State is and will always be the superior school whether you recognize it or not.</p>
<p>^ Listen to your own advice. Compare the Common Data Sets. Look at any ranking. Rankings are not everything, but they are not meaningless, either. It does not make it so because you say so. There are stats and rankings, on the other hand, that back up MY perception.</p>