<p>I moved here from Europe and I am currently taking a gap year in Washington DC before going to university. I have applied to the University of Michigan, University of Virginia, University of Wisconsin, Penn State, and Georgia. I want to study political science, but especially international relations and comparative politics. I really cant decide which university to go to (if I get in that is). I want to have fun but also have a really good academic scene. Academically I thought I should go to Michigan or Virginia, but I think that Wisconsin, Penn State, and Georgia sound like a lot more fun (I want a fun school, doesn't have to be over the top tho) . I always thought I wanted to go to Michigan, but I have gotten mixed reviews about it. That Fiske guide only gives Michigan an average three stars for social life. Also people have told me ann arbor isn't great. Other people tell me its amazing. What is great about it? Does Michigan have a good blend of social life and academics? Any suggestions?</p>
<p>I think what you might hear, by posting on this forum, will be a little bit biased.</p>
<p>Probably true. Well I also want to know what ann arbor and the university are like. What university would you compare to it? Whats the campus like?</p>
<p>Penn State and Wisconsin are MAJOR party schools</p>
<p>yes, but wisco is also one of the best in the country academically.</p>
<p>i am not a student there yet, but as a recently accepted one, i can tell you that i placed michigan at the top of my list for a few reasons (and i'm from far away as well, CA). </p>
<p>academically, michigan is at the top of those schools you mentioned, possibly tied with uva. but internationally, michigan is much more well-known. for example, yesterday i was talking with a friend from new zealand, and when i told her i'd gotten into michigan, she responded with "wow, isn't that one of the top schools in the states?"</p>
<p>academically, i would place georgia and penn state at the bottom. wisconsin is a very good school w/o a doubt, but it has a big party reputation that sometimes conflicts with its stellar academic one. UVA is a gorgeous school that is very prestigious, but i've heard a lot of complaints about their student body, in that they can be overly arrogant and preppy; overall a very wealthy student body. so if you can shrug that off or don't care, it might be a great fit.</p>
<p>i think michigan is the most well-balanced of all those schools, a "jack of all trades", so to speak. it has one of the most loyal student bodies in the country, and one of the biggest alumni networks in the world, which is great for employment purposes, in that michigan alums like to hire michigan grads. sports are HUGE, from football to hockey, and everywhere in between. so there is a very strong sense of community. I have only visited Ann Arbor once, but it seemed very clean and upscale compared to other large college towns that I visited, such as Madison. People were extremely friendly, and a waiter at the restaurant we ate dinner at offered to set me up with the scholarship director at western michigan university if i was interested, upon hearing that i was interested in the u of m.</p>
<p>if you're bored with michigan or wisconsin or UVA, you're bored with life. those schools all have such great academics and social scenes that you literally have to TRY to be bored. people often complain that there are too many options, and that they wish they had time to participate is more activities, because there are so many to choose from.</p>
<p>michigan is the most laid-back, yet academically reputable campus on your list. what would i compare it to? probably a UCLA. definitely has the reputation of berkeley, but the atmospheres are just different, in that berkeley is more academically intense (as proven by their 23% acceptance rate, but do not mistake intense for prestigious, in that regard they're arguably equal). but at michigan, you will not find a more real-world approach to the material you are taught at any other college campus in the nation. some may equal it, but none surpass it. you earn your grades, and you earn your loyalty. i think it's just one of those things you have to experience to believe.</p>
<p>Very nicely put, VC. My son has visited UofM six times now, and loves Ann Arbor in addition to the university. It seems like a great college town for students who want a large school with unlimited opportunity.</p>
<p>Thanks a lot. That was really helpful. I think Michigan is my first choice. I'm glad to hear ann arbor is nice too. Is it known to be a good looking campus? I have heard people compare ann arbor or chapel hill but I don't know if thats at all accurate. I've also heard people say that Michigan is like Cornell, but I don't know if they meant in reference to the campus or academics.</p>
<p>Well, I've been to Michigan, UNC, UVA, and Cornell, along with about 15 others, and Michigan is my favorite. UVA's was probably the most beautiful, but I wasn't too thrilled with the preppy atmosphere. I don't really think Mich is that similar to UNC, though both have great campuses. Michigan's is definitely huge, I was pretty inspired by the sheer size of it. But it doesn't feel impersonal. Many of the buildings are covered in ivy, and the Law Quad is amazing. Even if you don't end up at Mich., you should visit the Law Quad sometime. Do you have a facebook? If you do, add me as a friend and I'll show you some pics, I think they're better than the google images ones lol. I'll pm my name if you have one.</p>
<p>Vc08, Michigan is a pretty intense academic environment, hardly "laid back," as you say. It can be competitive and cutthroat at times and you really have to be a go-getter to succeed here. I, for one, like the competition because it motivates me to work my hardest, but UM is not for everyone.</p>
<p>True, but I mean in the attitudes of the people, not so much the level of academic pressure or stress.</p>
<p>At least that's what the vast majority of students I've talked to have told me, like anywhere, I'm sure there are some who feel differently.</p>