Imperial College London Vs University of Michigan. Where do I go ? =S

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Firstly, I would like to start of this post by thanking CC and all it's members for guiding me through my college admissions process. </p>

<p>I am an International student. For me the location doesn't matter neither does the cost of attendance. </p>

<p>I want to attend the best possible institution from where I can get a good job and a possible HYPMS grad degree with full scholarship (Since I will have to pay for myself for my graduate degree). </p>

<p>My college applications statuses are as follows:-</p>

<p>United States of America:-</p>

<p>University of Texas - Decision still pending
UIllinoi - Deferred
UMichigan - Accepted
Purude - Accepted</p>

<p>United Kingdom:- </p>

<p>I have been offered conditional acceptance at all the below listed universities with 1),2),3) asking for 75% and above in my Board examinations and 5) asking for 85% and above. </p>

<p>1)University of Bath - Accepted
2)University of Southampton - Accepted
3)University of Bristol - Accepted
4)University College London - Offer still pending. I have my Interview this month end.
5)Imperial College London - Accepted </p>

<p>*Criteria :- *</p>

<p>1)Money - I have it covered . My parents want to send me to the best possible university.</p>

<p>2)Major - I am planning to do a minor with my major or a double major, But I do not know which of the universities would allow that . Mostly an engineering degree ( Mechanical engineering) with a possible - International relations or Economics or....</p>

<p>3)Jobs - I want the university to have the best job placements .</p>

<p>4)Quality of education - The best among the 5 mentioned above.</p>

<p>5)Campus size and weather - Size doesn't matter (that is why I applied to public universities). I currently in Dubai and I lived 4 years in Canada. So temperature ranging between -40 Degree Celsius and 50 Degree Celsius is manageable.</p>

<p>6)Top notch facilities and faculty.</p>

2

<p>Imperial.</p>

<p>10char.</p>

3

<p>Michigan.</p>

<p>10char.</p>

4

<p>touch</p>

5

<p>Michigan</p>

<p>10char.</p>

6

<p>either</p>

<p>ok maybe michigan</p>

7

<p>Both are very good schools. Both have great facilities, quality education, and prestige. I don’t know much about education in the UK, but I think you have to take a single course and it’s a pain to switch? It doesn’t seem like there’s as much flexibility. You don’t seem like you’re 100% sure what you want to do, so I would suggest Michigan. I think that American education is much better for people who haven’t entirely decided.
Try to visit if possible… I know it’ll be hard because you’re international, but if you see both you’ll probably figure out which one you like better.</p>

8

<p>I would personally go with Imperial if I were going to stay outside of the US after graduation and to Michigan if I were going to stay in the US.</p>

9

<p>^^^Just curious, what is your reasoning for that?</p>

10

<p>yeah, michigan has gigantic name recognition abroad</p>

11

<p>Imperial College London, get used to Europe. If you’re concerned with rankings, Imperial College will probably rank WAY better than Michigan in four years. American colleges are generally falling in ranks (if you’re international minded).</p>

12

<p>Are you planning to attend grad school in the United States? If yes, go with Michigan.</p>

<p>The transition will be much easier for you in the long-term.</p>

<p>If you are planning to work long-term in Europe, go with UCL.</p>

13

<p>Imperial and Michigan are both highly regarded among Engineers (both in academe and in industry). However, they are very different. Michigan’s resources and facilities are significantly better than Imperial’s. If you vist the two campuses, you will clearly see what I mean. </p>

<p>Furthermore, I am not sure if British universities allow double majors. Double majoring in Economics and Engineering at Michigan is certainly possible, but it will require at least one extra trimester. </p>

<p>Mathdumb, I also believe in Europe, but American universities aren’t going anywhere. </p>

<p>Feel free to PM me. I live in Dubai so we can easily meet for a brain washing…errr…I mean for an information session! hehe!</p>

14

<p>The majority of British universities DO NOT allow undergrad students to double major. However, at many British universities, “honours” programs are offered. Honours programs are integrated programs of undergrad and grad, so the students will graduate with a master’s degree with 1 additional year only. 3 years undergrad + 1 year graduate program = 4 years of studies. You will graduate with an MSc or Master’s of Science (by research). </p>

<p>OP, I will deal the situation differently. Since you are an international student, you should ask yourself where you want to work after your degree. If you want to work in the UK, go to Imperial College. It’s a top engineering school in the UK and their graduates - on average - are the highest earners amongst all the British universities. However, if you want to work in the US, I would advise you to go to Michigan. </p>

<p>Personally, I would go to Michigan. In general, American schools are better than UK unis. Although Imperial is a top UK uni, Michigan is one of the best in the US. It is far better in terms of facilities. It is significantly richer. It is more well-known world-wide. It has top programs, not just in engineering, but in almost all specialties. Michigan is also a lively campus that is full of students with amazing personality and high IQ. You can’t go wrong with Imperial. But you can’t go wrong with Michigan either. And the US is a much nicer country to study and live in than the UK.</p>

15

<p>Lol, you’re gonna get a very clear bias towards US education in this forums from everyone (including me)</p>

<p>But do you like the liberal arts system? Or would you rather take classes only related to your major? Do you think you might change your major anytime during your school years?</p>

<p>If you answer yes, no, yes - go to Michigan</p>

<p>If you answer no, yes, no - go to Imperial</p>

16

<p>^ I spent my undergrad years in the UK. So, if I’m biased, I would encourage the OP to pick any UK uni from his list.</p>

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<p>“Imperial College London, get used to Europe. If you’re concerned with rankings, Imperial College will probably rank WAY better than Michigan in four years. American colleges are generally falling in ranks (if you’re international minded).”</p>

<p>I think your screen name says it all.</p>

18

<p>@rjkofnovi and everyone else
That the US universities are falling is a clear phenomenon, there’s an article about it in Times Higher Education, and even if you observe the “Times University Ranking”, you will find that American universities do suffer a HUGE net loss in ranking and that Asian universities are filling their space quickly. Therefore, if European universities just maintain their position, it won’t be long (and certainly in four years) when the American universities are mostly or altogether gone, and European and Asian universities dominate the tops, by which time Imperial will obviously rank WAY better than Michigan.</p>

19

<p>^ mathdumb, I wouldn’t be brash. If you haven’t noticed, the UK economy may crash this year. </p>

<p>The top American universities will survive this economic crisis.</p>

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<p>mathdumb, first of all, the Times Higher Education is a British publication, so it is only natural that British universities are fairing better than American universities in their rankings. </p>

<p>Furthermore, US universities are in much better financial state than British universities. Imperial’s endowment stands at $150 million. Michigan’s endowment stands at $6 billion. That’s 40 times larger.</p>