Michigan vs. Cornell...is Michigan worth it?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Michigan
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<p>I've been accepted to Michigan LSA, and got a guaranteed transfer to Cornell's school of Industrial and Labor Relations. Normally GT would stink, but since i was planning on deferring for the year and studying abroad anyways, it works out very nicely. Now both schools will accept the credit for my travel program. Since I live in NY, Cornell is actually $10,000 a year cheaper than Michigan. I LOVE U of M so much, and the thought of going to Cornell actually makes me sorta sad. The atmosphere at Michigan is so much better, in my opinion, not to mention the fact that so many people from my high school are going to Cornell. I know that in the end, i will be happy wherever i end up. My parents have left the decision to me...now I need solid reasons to choose Michigan over Cornell other than "choose the school that fits you best" since that is obvioulsy Michigan. Cornell could open up a lot more job opportunities since it's a more specific major than a liberal arts degree from Michigan, and it's closer to home. I will probably go to grad school. Opinions? </p>

<p>thanks!</p>

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<p>actually, i don't think cornell will open up any more job opportunities than michigan. when you arrive at michgan, there are many options, especially ross. for example, an LSA econ degree will still mean tons to employers. michigan and cornell are academic peers; i don't think either really is considered more prestigious than the other (and it's not michigan's fault that their athletic conference sucks haha). if you want to go to grad school, i don't think you could pick a better school all around for academics than michigan. you should ask our moderator; he passed on cornell for michigan undergrad and then went to ILR for grad.</p>

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<p>thanks. i think i am going to go to michigan it's just really hard because of the money difference to justify it...</p>

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<p>I am from NY too and a lot of people from my school are going there aswell, but let me just say that i havent heard all glorious things about cornell.</p>

<p>Anyways, if there is one thing that i have heard consistently from people when talking about college its this:</p>

<p>Undergrad is a place to grow personally, grad school is a place to grow professionally.</p>

<p>Now, that having been said, i dont know you want to go on to grad school, but i have always taken that outlook to mean go to the place where you feel you can grow more as a person and take advantage of the most oppurtunities.</p>

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<p>I've never visited Ithaca, but from friends who have, it's a really boring place. One of my friends said he couldn't imagine living there for four years. It seems like both Cornell and Michigan have big party scenes, but in Michigan partying isn't the only thing you'll be limited to. If your a big sports fan, then there's no contest, go to Michigan. Princeton Review (don't know how trustworthy it is) quoted a Cornell student saying that there are two types of kids at Cornell - those who party and those who stay in their rooms all day, or somethng to that extent. Although Michigan is definitely no slouch in academics and workload, Cornell is killer, where a 3.3 gpa isn't terrible. The ILR school is also more specific in it's curriculum while LSA has the potential to be more broad. </p>

<p>Since your from NY, (only if you don't mind)what high school do you go to?</p>

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<p>A 3.3 at most colleges, including top ivy leagues, is a very respectable GPA.</p>

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<p>it is if ur premed, haha, but i dont think thats the case here</p>

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<p>Thanks for all the input! QNYgrl...i live upstate so i doubt u'd recognize my school's name (since your info says your location is NYC). </p>

<p>i'm gonna make one last visit to ithaca and then make a final decision.</p>

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<p>Try to post this on Cornell's board. you will see tons of cornellians wanting you to come to cornell :)
some of the replies are biased.

[quote]
I've never visited Ithaca, but from friends who have, it's a really boring place.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>You have never visited Cornell and yet you rely on ur friends' opinions. It depends on you whether you make urself busy or not. If you are lazy and do not want to find anything to do, then it will be boring. However, Cornell offers a lot of opportunities and other activities that you won't find it that boring (Although I agree with the isolated location).<br>
And,

[quote]
Princeton Review (don't know how trustworthy it is) quoted a Cornell student saying that there are two types of kids at Cornell - those who party and those who stay in their rooms all day, or somethng to that extent.

[/quote]

This is also not true. The student just generalized the entire student body by saying that bs. Then why did he or she choose to go to Cornell?</p>

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<p>I visited Ithaca over the weekend and had a fun time. It is in the middle of nowhere but if you like outdoorsy kind of stuff it's the place to be.</p>

<p>I've wanted to go to Michigan since I was like 8, but I could never pass up Cornell at $10,000 less than Michigan.</p>

<p>In fact, I'm leaning towards paying much more to attend Cornell.</p>

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<p>Cornell and Michigan are exact peers. There really aren't two more similar academic institutions. Cornell was modeled after Michigan. Andrew Dickson White, Cornell's co-founder and first president, was a University of Michigan administrator and professor before Ezra Cornell asked him to come to Ithaca to help him set up his university in 1866. He served as Cornell's president until 1885. In 1885, when White retired, he was replaced by another Michigan professor, Charles Kendall Adams, who served as Cornell's second president until 1892. Since then 4 other Michigan professors/administrators have served as Cornell presidents, including Frank Rhodes, the longest serving president in Ivy League history (1977-1995). In short, 6 of Cornell's 13 presidents were Michigan professors and admnistrators. This explains why Cornell, like Michigan, is one of the few American universities to follow the German system and why it has a history of inovation in academic curriculae.</p>

<p>In terms of class size, endowment, endowment/student, operating budge/student etc..., Cornell and Michigan are also pretty even. And their Peer assessment scores are generally the same.</p>

<p>In short, you should decide based on other more tangible criteria. </p>

<p>LOCATION: Cornell is more secluded and more "natural". Ann Arbor is more centrally located, with a major international airport 20 miles away and a major highway connecting it to both Detroit and Chicago.</p>

<p>CAMPUS ENVIRONMENT: Cornell and Michigan are both lively and fun...and both are liberal. Michigan has the added advantage a great football tradition.</p>

<p>TOWN: Ithaca is a quaint little college town. Ann Arbor is a quaint little college city. Both are nice, but Ann Arbor is larger and has more to do. Furthermore, the Michigan campus is more centrally located within the city.</p>

<p>PROFESSIONAL PLACEMENT: Both are excellent.</p>

<p>GRADUATE SCHOOL PLACEMENT: According to a recent WSJ survey, Cornell and Michigan have a similar "feeder score" (3% of their total student population) into top 5 graduate professional programs.</p>

<p>Like I said, they are very similar schools in most respects. One should go with the one that fits their style best.</p>

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<p>hmmm...wow. i guess i really knew what i wanted in a school when applying because those have always been my top two and its seems that they have more in common than i thought...</p>

<p>all of this being said...do you think there is a significant difference in the type of student each school attracts?</p>

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<p>not just grades (because obviously they're reasonably equal on that) but as far as personality traits (yes, generalizations) and what is the "stereotypical student" for each school?</p>

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<p>Their student bodies are actually very similar in that you cannot generalize. I mean, Cornell has close to 15,000 undergrads and Michigan has close to 25,000 undergrads. They literally have all sorts of students in multitudes!</p>

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<p>Typical michigan student: middle-to-upper class, if from Michigan, probably went because it was a sweet deal. If OOS, probably a bit more upper-class, and went either because of the great education or the great social life. Nobody goes to Cornell for the social life. Cornell has a bunch of people who can afford Ivy league schooling and desire that. So, with that in mind, Cornell students are going to be richer, care less about sports/social life, and care about their school's "prestige" and the Ivy name (so maybe snobbier)</p>

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<p>Alexandre, I also think Cornell is very similar to Michigan, BUT with the bottom 1/3 of Michigan's student body chopped off. I think Michigan would be such a better school if it became lets say 40% instate 60% out of state with a slightly higher standard of admission.</p>

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<p>That's about right 1337...but I'd only chop off the bottom 20%.</p>

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<p>
[quote]
Cornell students are going to be richer, care less about sports/social life, and care about their school's "prestige" and the Ivy name (so maybe snobbier)

[/quote]
</p>

<p>This comment may be more appropriate for the 7 non-public Ivies.</p>

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<p>I decided to go to UMich in the end. i just feel as if i personally can be more successful there. i hope i made the right decision. thanks every one for your help and good luck with your own decisions!</p>