Is something wrong with me for not wanting to go to Michigan?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Michigan
41

I totally agree with meeting professors. Instead of the school tour my son did a small of that at Michigan but made appointments with two professors in different areas of study. This sealed the deal for him. But he had been to Michigan just walking around prior since my wife went there and we go to Detroit often to visit family from Chicago.

Also BC is cold and Windy (actually more wind) then Chicago. I spent a few summers up there doing training.

It’s such a great school with really great opportunities and is the only reason I would give it another look /chance. But if it doesn’t speak to you then fine. You really have great choices so far.

42

I just wanted to tell you that my daughter felt the same exact way as you described in #14. We visited UM last Spring Despite having visited several schools in the northeast that same week with colder weather conditions/skies just as gray, she came away with more positive feelings for some Boston area schools than UM, so it wasn’t just the weather. Tour guide at UM was great and the admissions presentations were fine, and we met some nice students. But walking around campus she said it just felt big, cold, and aside from the law quad, more like a business campus than a college campus…impersonal. The idea of potentially being housed as a freshman at the satellite campus about 1.5 miles from campus gave her serious pause…we drove around that campus and thought it was depressing…the aesthetics of the buildings including dorms, the huddled masses waiting for the buses looking, cold and not happy. She felt very different about BC, which has a similar set up (a big % of the freshman are housed about a mile away from main campus) but that satellite location had a totally different look/feel to her…kids walking around looking up, students playing around outside despite cold rain falling, etc. She also considered that long gray winters could be offset by being in/near a big city with more to do. Ann Arbor is lovely and we had fun walking around for a few hours, but the downtown wasn’t much different than what she is used to and wasn’t a selling point. We are huge college sports fans and have been to many college football games including a UM game (not at the big house) so she knew that part would be awesome, but still… I focused on all the positives as I knew she had a higher likelihood of being admitted to UM than to some other schools on her list but while I kept my negative thoughts to myself, I couldn’t disagree with her assessment. I liked a few other large state school ‘feels’ better. She decided it would be a probably be a better place for grad than undergrad for her but she did apply because of the academic strength. She was was accepted to her top choice school the same day she was admitted to UM, so fate determined she wouldn’t have to decide between UM which looked like a top option on paper from a cost/benefit perspective and other schools. No matter how good a school is, it’s hard to discount those gut feelings when you go to visit and it doesn’t feel right. Interestingly, she visited some of the same schools that you applied to (Tulane, USC, BC) and other large state schools like UCLA and UW. She liked all of those campuses and their ‘feel’ far better than UM (and she actually expected to hate USC). Perhaps visit UM again if you can to see if you come away with a different feel.

43

@2ndthreekids thanks for your insight!! I’m glad that I am not the only student who has walked away from that campus with that feel. I definitely am going to give Michigan another visit because I think it has everything I want in a school. Then again, hopefully one of my top two choices works out so I don’t have to worry about this!

44

My DC chose UM over other choices, because of the campus feel and the aesthetics of the buildings.

There’s a brand new Biological Sciences building, which I/we thought was beautifully designed. The remodeled East and West Quad dorms are Ivy-like, like the Law Quad. Then there’s the remodeled Intramural Sports building, also a gorgeous big brick building.

The newly remodeled Student Union building, which will be opened in January will be unbelievable. UM just posted a video tour on Twitter of the new Student Union building when done. And UM just approved a remodel of an existing building on central campus for more classrooms, plus remodeling the Central Campus Recreation Center as well.

https://record.umich.edu/articles/new-central-campus-building-include-innovative-classrooms

https://record.umich.edu/articles/regents-approve-replacing-central-campus-recreation-building

Now not every building on campus is pretty, but we actually loved the campus, which is integrated into the city of Ann Arbor. Central Campus felt small to us, not crowded, but then I grew up in a big city. Oh and I forgot to mention the Greek-life buildings. Many of these homes are old, remodeled and beautiful as well. One of the sororities has a house called “The Castle,” WOW! And over by Palmer Field, there’s Mosher Jordan (MoJo) and the Stockwell dorm for sophomores, which looks like it could double as Hogwarts.

And while we all have different opinions and perspectives, we’re from Northern CA, DC told me a couple weeks ago that the weather is overrated. School starts after Labor Day and the Winter semester finals are over around 4/30. So, 8 months of school, including vacations, like this next week, which is Spring Break.

I can’t comment on Tulane or BC, since we didn’t visit those campuses.

45

So just FYI… Midtown Detroit is where all the cool young professional kids are living these days. Lots of shopping. They did a great job with it but no doesn’t compare to Chicago /Boston.

Just curious, since you are from Chicago are you considering Northwestern at all?

Most see Ann Arbor as a big city that is progressive. But it’s not a true downtown area like Chicago or Boston so I get that. Chicago kids don’t go to suburban malls either (not trying to offend anyone) so Briarwood Mall would not be your number one shopping destination either… Lol…

Spoiler Alert : there is so much to do on campus at Michigan most kids don’t go to downtown Detroit etc. Every weekend there is a music thing, play, event, game, club thing activity, homework that you honestly won’t want to or have enough time to do that. Sure once in a while… Yes, we have found overall the professors and students to be very friendly and helpful. FYI - it’s also not an easy school. You have to put in the effort to make it there. But if you ask for help it’s there in spades.

Also Michigan wants to see the students succeed in just about anything. They will help you do just about anything if you ask. Also the Alumni is a real thing. My son started a tech group and he is putting on a major tech conference on campus in April. Another very major company reach out to him yesterday seeing if they need any help or resources from them. Alumni are real at Michigan.

OK, that’s my last sell job. Lol…

46

I know I missed some buildings, and it’s killing me that I’m forgetting. :))

So my freshman kid has traveled to Detroit several times. Recently, Michigan played Michigan State in hockey at Little Caesars Arena and has attended a few concerts in downtown Detroit. So, if you want, you can travel the 45-50 minutes and check it out as a student.

47

@sushiritto thank you so much for that info — I actually never saw the Biological sciences building, so next time I visit i will definitely look at that. I also agree that Detroit could be a fun weekend trip to see a game or a concert. I really think I want to love Michigan — I think I’m starting to realize that the reason I didn’t like my second trip up there was because it was my first visit after actually being admitted. I really can’t wait to go back in April

48

When to and not to visit…

Ok so D18 loves BC having visited there three times. Each time we visited my perspective of the school changed. So yes a second visit before that ultimate decision is often a good idea if possible.

FYI we visited Cornell in the middle of winter on one of the coldest and windy of days imaginable. No one was walking about campus. D17 at the time came away with a feeling much as you described. She never even applied.

It’s a beautiful campus with great academics yet not on that day…

49

@Knowsstuff I’m glad your son has had such a great experience!! In all honesty, I agree with everything you have said. I think I really will change my mind the second I visit in April. Really Michigan has everything I want in a school — I think maybe I went up to Michigan with a bad attitude the last time I went. I think it’s really where I want to end up.

50

@J123D123 if your daughter ends up getting into UMich it’s definitely worth a visit. Don’t use my one bad visit in January as a basis. I loved it when I visited in November and went to a football game. Honestly I think I’ll end up going there — it has the best academics and school spirit out of really any school I applied to.

51

U of M has a major area of study that interests my daughter greatly. So if she gets accepted a visit in April is most assured.

Wish you the best in your choice…

52

@dunnowheretogo If you do visit UMich again, try to avoid late April, when students will have finals. Then everyone will look stressed. :smiley:

UMich academics aren’t easy. Grading is much harder than HS. There are plenty of “weeder” classes, some/many of which can be avoided with 4’s and 5’s in AP classes. But when kids are heading to classes, they may have a “stressed look” on their faces. Lots on their minds. :wink:

53

FWIW Among 193 US institutions ranked for the number of commercial products reaching the market in 2017 (an indicator of research & innovation), the University of Michigan placed second (behind the University of Georgia).

Michigan is almost always second in the nation (behind Johns Hopkins University) for research funding.

Nevertheless, if a school doesn’t feel right & you have a better fit at an equally affordable option, then go with your gut instincts.

54

@sushiritto I will be going early April to avoid the stressful finals week hahaha. I know that Michigan academics certainly aren’t easy, but I want to be challenged in college. Honestly I’m not totally sure why I started this thread yesterday now, because I really think I will go to Michigan — and not because my parents want me to. It is just everything I want in a school mins a few superficial things.

55

@Publisher I totally agree. But honestly I think Michigan will be an environment in which I can thrive the most, while also being challenged. Maybe I won’t like it again the next time I visit, but I bet I will. I think I was just tired of winter the last time I went lol

56

UPDATE FOR PEOPLE JUST READING THIS: I definitely think I will end up going to Michigan. I think I just got stressed yesterday about having to make a final decision.

57

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58

@sushiritto… I have to laugh. I picked up my son at Amtrack station in Chicago on Friday. He totally looked stressed after 4 midterms tests last week. He’s definitely relaxed now. He chose Michigan to be challenged and challenged he is in engineering. Those easy “A’” in high school are a thing of the past. But he is learning tons and really enjoying his experience. Btw @dunnowheretogo… Taking the Amtrack from AA to Chicago is like all college kids and fun!

59

@Knowsstuff Yep, we picked up my kid yesterday at the airport with the heaviest backpack that I’ve ever lifted in tow. That backpack felt like it had every book in the Library of Congress in it and I lift weights. Two mid terms last week and two more next week I believe. Much homework during the break. We’re actually watching the UMich-Maryland b-ball game right now as I write.

@dunnowheretogo It’s totally OK to be undecided. It’s a huge decision. Take your time, visit the campuses of your final choices. Write down the pros and cons. You have until 5/1, at least with UMich, plenty of time. Only you know what feels right to you. But go beyond just the UMich tour. The tour doesn’t show you very much of the campus.

When you do go back to Ann Arbor, walk around South University and South State Street areas, both adjacent to campus where alot of the students go and hangout when not on campus. We actually visited campus in early March last year with light snow falling. Coming from CA, we thought it was pretty cool.

60

@sushiritto I will definitely make a pros and cons sheet and wait until visiting AA again before making a final decision. I agree that undecided isn’t necessarily a bad thing at all. I didn’t visit South University last time so I definitely will check it out when I go back up!