Is Michigan weak in any way?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Michigan
481

<p>ahsie, you are entitled to your opinion. I am merely point out the facts. Michigan is elite in all major professional programs. Whether we are talking about the USNWR report or any other ranking, Michigan Business, Engineering, Law and Medicine are all elite. Arguably, all four of those professional programs are top 5 nationally...and according to virtually every source, those four departments are ranking in or around the top 10. </p>

<p>Michigan Business is always ranked between #2 (by WSJ and Businessweek and #10 or so (according to the USNWR). Michigan Engineering has always between ranked between #4 and #9 according to the USNWR. Michigan Law is ranked anywhere betwen #3 and #9 accordong to a multitude of rankings. And Michigan medicine has been ranked as high as #6 and as low as #11 according to the USNWR. The USNWR and Leiter reputational ratings are almost identical afterall.</p>

<p>As for Leiter, his ranking seems quite reliable...he is an alumnus of the University of Michigan afterall! LOL! He also taught at UT-Austin, which casts a shadow on his rating the UT-Austin Law school among the National 14 where most other Law School ranking would not include it. Besides, I don't understand why Leiter's PA score is any more reliable or accurate than the USNWR Law School Peer ratings. </p>

<p>At any rate, I do not see how that proves that Cal or Michigan are any weaker than NYU or Columbia. They all get roughly the same score and rating. All of them are elite.</p>

<p>If you like Leiter, you should check out his overall ranking of universities. I believe he ranks Michigan #3 or #4 overall. At any rate, as a state university overall, only Cal has a slight advantage over Michigan. UCLA and UVa are arguably as good. All four of those state schools are considered elite.</p>

<p>I would caution you against taking journal and article publication rankings too seriously. If you look at the ranking you provided above, there is a very small and truly insignificant difference between #3 and #17. You seem to take very small differences and try to rationalize differences based on fractional differences of the incaculable. In general, I think the difference in perception lies in definition. You definite elite as #1 and maybe #2 and in some cases #3. I define elite as the top 10 or top dozen. That is fine. But I think you are sometimes inconstant. For example, UIUC (in Engineering), UDub (in Medicine) and Chicago and NYU (in Law) would not generally be considered among the top 2 or 3 programs. Top 5, perhaps, but if that is the case, you must include more than 5 programs in each professional program, and in that, you would probably have to include Michigan, which is equal to UIUC in Engineering, UDub in Medicine and Chicago and NYU in Law. </p>

<p>Finally, your take on Engineering reputation is very limited. UIUC is not on par with Cal or MIT...or even Stanford or Caltech. It is equal to Michigan, Cornell, Carnegie Mellon and GT. Now in some circles, I am sure UIUC has a stronger reputation than Michigan. But in other circles, it is Michigan that has the upper hand. For example, in Western Europe and Latin America, Michigan is more recognized than UIUC. That does not mean it is better in Engineering.</p>

482

<p>
[quote]
As for engineering, I got the difference between UIUC and UM none other than Professional PhD engineers themselves(Invensys Corporation).

[/quote]

Engineering is a big field ... and there are many many engineering employers much larger and more prestigeous than Invensys. There are many industries where Invensys has little presence.</p>

<p>
[quote]
And Cal is nowhere close (my father was REALLY surprised when he saw it in the top 5) in the eyes of my father though I'll admit that I never asked by Cal among the engineers at Invensys. I'm sure 30 years of experience accounts at least for something.

[/quote]

Engineering is a big field. Ask your dad how much he knows about companies like Googles, Boeing, Exxon, GE, IBM, Pfizer, etc.... or what he knows about aerospace, biotech, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, petrolum, civil, nuclear, naval fields of engineering and the kind of engineers they employ. Your dad will be the first one to tell you that he knows almost zip about all these.</p>

483

<p>One downer at U of M is that the chicks are definitely NOT as hot as at some of the other schools in the area. Seriously.</p>

<p>However, almost every house party has free kegs. Which is a bonus.</p>

484

<p>Thanks for pointing out what matters most to a college aged male RockStar4341. ;-)</p>

485

<p>This has probably been said, but the weather sucks. Other than that, it is pretty good.</p>

486

<p>Compared to Hawaii, the whole rest of the country's weather sucks. ;-)</p>

487

<p>Yeah, I wish I could go back...UM in Hawaii. Makes no sense, but it would be perfect.</p>

488

<p>The cold is not so bad, haha. After this past Friday's horrid temperatures, anything feels better...</p>

489

<p>Good:</p>

<p>Free booze allllllll the time. The people here are generous.
Ann Arbor's marijuana policy
Sports teams (football is an uh oh, though. swimming and hockey are sick still!)
Frats</p>

<p>Bad:</p>

<p>The girls are... "ok."
Weather sometimes
Soooo big (unless ur into that kind of thing. and it starts to feel smaller as u get more comfortable with the campus, so this isnt that bad... if at all)
Mary Sue Coleman
Mary Sue Coleman
Mary Sue Coleman
and... probably the only other problem would be uhhh Mary Sue Coleman</p>

490

<p>QuakerOats415. A message to you from Mary Sue Coleman, "Nothing is better for thee, than me." :-)</p>

491

<p>What's wrong with her?</p>

492

<p>I'd guess she's a tad bit too far to the left for anybody that's remotely conservative.</p>

493

<p>weather would be a debbie downer, and also location. its an amazing college town, but not a city either way. michigan doesn't have an urban feel</p>

494

<p>michigan banned affirmative action with a proposal a few years ago that got passed, yet mary sue takes it upon herself to sidestep the law while still kissing jenny granholm (equally evil and detrimental to all things 'michigan') squarely on the ass.</p>

495

<p>The students and alumni are pretentious, pompous, arrogant and conceited as evidence by this thread. :)</p>

496

<p>That may be true, as "evidenceD" by this thread.</p>

497

<p>Hehe. I love it! It is great to be part of a conference that has such spirited rivalries.</p>

498

<p>Alex,
You should be honored that someone dedicated his/her 2nd post on this thread.</p>

499

<p>The honor goes to us all. Michigan has to be one of the most envied and hated university in the country. That can only be a reflection of its greatness! hehe!</p>

500

<p>If they would be so kind to accept I would like to dedicate my second post, sans embarassing typo, to Alexandre and the University of Michigan. :) I don't hate Michigan and I agree that if you are hated you are probably doing somthing right and Michigan sure is doing somthing right. Michigan is a fantastic university, I just thought it was funny that there was a thread dedicated to telling me that. I don't have a conference rivalry and I usually cheer on the Wolverines whenever they are playing.</p>