Agreeing with previous posts to setup meetings with professors.
We met with three, from different departments, and each answered questions about their programs, but went out of their way to speak personally about making UM home. These conversations made the large, cold campus feel warmer and smaller.
@romns116 that is awesome to hear — I’ll definitely make sure to set up meetings with professors. I can’t wait to go back to AA
@dunnowheretogo
Glad you make this thread, you are not the only one having this dilemma. USC seems like a decent choice. BC’s weather wise isn’t that much warmer than UMich. It’s a beautiful campus but not as diverse as UMich. Best of luck to you, and keep us posted.
My daughter also got into UMich and a few other schools, still waiting for UCB, UCLA and other schools in the east coast. But she pretty much decided even if she gets into those east coast schools (BU, CMU, JHU), she would still prefer UMich, UCB, and UCLA. I agree with you about the weather, it’s probably the biggest draw back for us. I don’t agree with you about the aesthetics assessment, though. I thought UMich is beautiful!
UMich has everything she wanted except for the weather. She is a huge sport fans, and she hopes to walk on to play club soccer. Academically it also has all the classes she wanted but so do UCLA and UCB. Because she knows she wants to go to grad school (medical or academia), it might not be strategically smart to go to UCB. Grade deflation is a real thing at UCB, I don’t care if anyone else denied it, I lived it and it was real 20 years ago and still is. Grad schools don’t generally care all that much that you went to a difficult school like UCB. It’s better to have a 4.0 at UMich than 3.5 at UCB when you apply to grad school. My husband’s post doc’s gf is having a very difficult time getting into good grad schools b/c her GPA is 3.4 at UCB, despite doing amazing undergrad research and excellent recommendation letters. So that leaves UCLA which might be the best choice for my daughter at the moment if she gets in. I am secretly hoping she doesn’t get into UCB b/c knowing her she wouldn’t care about the grade deflation. She might pick UCB over UCLA. But then again she might just pick UMich, IDK.
When you walk around the UC campus (the same with your USC) even during the winter, you see students laying on the lawn, reading, talking, having lunch, enjoying the beautiful weather with the amazing feeling of the sun on your face. You are rarely going to have those days at UMich. If you are prone to seasonal depression, a warm weather is a much better place to be. My daughter is very active and likes outdoor activities, being cooped up inside all the time won’t be fun.
Giving it a second try (second visit) can’t hurt, but I would also follow your gut. My son loved it after visiting, but think it’s an unattractive campus, and it feels really huge to me (even though I attended an even larger school). You said it “has everything you want in a school” but clearly you don’t want 40,000+ students.
If you have the time and money to visit again, go for it, but in general I would suggest following your gut, and not focus only on whether or not a school checks all your boxes and whether or not other people like it. And the argument that you should visit when the weather is better is a little silly, given that you will be attending the school during crappy weather as well as good.
This is OT but re:47, poster must have picked a rare day indeed, or timed the visit in between class changes or something. Cornell almost never cancels classes, it is very rare. So typically in such circumstances one might see a bunch of freezing students, icicles dripping from their faces, scurrying from wherever to their next classes. They certainly wouldn’t be out throwing frisbees on the arts quad but one would still see them, typically.
Not that this would necessarily make it seem more appealing than not seeing them at all…
@Nhatrang agreed that it might be rare to find students laying on the lawn studying at UMich. But I also love skiing and snow activities and definitely wouldn’t be couped up inside all the time. The more I think about it, the more I think weather is not as. Big of a factor as I originally thought.
@mckate I should definitely rephrase what I said — it is everything I want in a school from an academics standpoint. I agree that the size is daunting, but I feel like that would be a good challenge for me. Plus, even though the other schools I’m looking at are smaller, they are in giant cities so I will be surrounded by tons of people anywhere I go.
@dunnowheretogo. This might be unfair but let’s just close the loop here. https://www.pizzabobs.net/history
Yes, Pizza Bob’s and chocolate chip hot fudge chocolate shakes!!! You can also do like 50 other varieties.
Welcome to Michigan. If you see my son on campus tell him to call his dad once in a while.
Go Blue! 
Nothing’s wrong with you. The goal is to have lots of choices and opportunities, then you have to pick one that you feel is best for you. My kids turned down great schools to go to other great schools based on class size, culture, money, fit. Sometimes they think they would have been better off at another college, but they made the best decision they could at the time.
I have a relative that just graduated from Cal in economics with a 3.9 and played a D1 sport. I have several friends and relatives who graduated from Cal with very high GPA’s.
OTOH, there’s my UMich DC18 taking Math 216 (Diff Eq.) class filled with engineers who says 50% of the class is flunking based on the recent midterm. The average score for the 500-600 students was 50%. Half the class above 50%, half the class below 50%. So…
I don’t know how to compare grading at UCB and UMich, but I’m kinda skeptical that a 4.0 at UMich = 3.5 at Cal. Just my opinion, but UMich isn’t a ride in the park. And don’t expect a 4.0.
As for the weather, wear a coat, gloves and snow boots, you’ll be fine. During the Polar Vortex, Michigan played Ohio State at the Crisler Center on campus and the arena was sold out. You may not be able to lay on the lawn in February in Ann Arbor, but you can watch the 7th ranked basketball team in the country play another great Big10 team, which you can’t do at Cal or UCLA. :-j
First time visit to U-M last week for Campus Day from TX. Snow boots, heavy coat, layers…I was waay over-dressed 
18 deg with wind during the tour wasn’t as bad as it sounds.
No, it’s not crazy for you to not want to go to Michigan. Wait for Gtown and USC, then make a decision. And I do not see any point in going back for another visit. You didn’t like it, bottom line. Don’t ignore that.
@Lindagaf I agree about waiting to make a decision. However, I think I went into Michigan with the expectation that I’d walk away being like “wow this is the one.” And I haven’t felt anything close to that feeling at any school so far
A very cold and snowy trip indeed…
We chose them because the NESCAC Championships were being held at Amherst College and my daughter is a swimmer.
Cornell wasnt alone in the campus being generally quiet outdoors…
My daughter went to campus day a year or so ago and she didn’t leave with the warm fuzzies about the school. She was almost set to pick State instead when Michigan offered her a nice scholarship. So we MADE her go to Michigan because it helped our bottom line (and because it had been her top choice before she got admitted). Then I felt bad, thinking we had put into a big pressure cooker (State would have been a lot easier to make the grades). She has settled into Michigan nicely. She is in the marching band, in a sorority, WISE, is set to live in the German residence on campus next fall. She is happy to be there. But you live farther away, so make the choice wisely!
My daughter was fortunate to get accepted to school of nursing through early action, she was initially beyond thrilled. We were super impressed with the school of nursing. My daughter just assumed she woudln’t get in from all she heard of how hard it is to get in. Now that she’s in, she is nervous that she will feel inferior to the uber-smart people. She is a hard working student. She does of course, like many college-age kids like to have fun and is looking forward to wherever she goes being a part of school spirit; the games, parties etc. A person in her school scared her a bit telling her a friend of his goes to Umich (Ross bus school) and is surrounded with people that are so smart that she feels “dumb”(not my words! )-scaring my daughter. My daughter does not have perfect SAT’s, and not an over the top GPA -Within the lower range of Michigan’s average acceptances. However she has many unique extra curriculars that I think set her apart. She works her tail off when required. Can anyone speak to this? Reassure me so I can help her understand that she will be fine (or maybe not? ) I feel like the OP’s parents in that how can you not go to UMich, however I just went my DD to be happy. She’s got plenty of other choices but Umich is the best academically. We are going back to visit in April to see campus again.
So to the original question-OP you aren’t crazy to be confused!!
@runnergirl217. Both you and your daughter have to stop listening to the noise and neysayers. It is an honor and a privilege to go to a school like Michigan. Michigan saw something in your daughter and many people here would love to take her spot. They are not accepting students that they feel won’t be successful. There is so much help for your child if she needs it, there should not be a concern. You said she’s a hard worker. That’s what she needs, is to work /play hard. There is always someone smarter, taller and has more money. Just a fact of life. Congratulations to your daughter.
@Knowsstuff, agreed !! thanks for your words!! You are right!!!
As long as she is a organized and meticulous person she will be fine. Nurses and engineers are the two busiest groups of students on campus. Her social life might be curtailed a bit, but she will have time to socialize and for extracurricular activities.
Time management is key at any university. My engineering son plays intermural sports, works weekly, started an tech org, a lot of his social things are with his org but developed close relationships with the key players and members. After going to the Michigan football games he actually goes back to get some studying done since he works most Sundays. You just have to find what works for you. Go to study sessions and get help early. As stated you will be challenged at Michigan. Those easy “As” that you got in high school without much studying are a thing of the past. But this gets you prepared for the real world.