Michigan vs. U Chicago

College Search & Selection
21

<p>Oh my, sorry I didn't object to everything I was supposed to. Maybe because the one involving Chicago wasn't written with huge words. Yes, Harvard > UChicago and UChicago > Michigan.</p>

<p>MattEisn, so how come you don't consider the USNews ranking for colleges overall? Harvard = #2, UChicago = #9, and Michigan? #24. Half the price? So I assume you live in Michigan, well, in case you haven't noticed, not everyone live in Michigan. And since when did being a public school make a school better? Football, haha. You're talking to someone from Ohio.</p>

22

<p>ckmets, not always graduate. There are rankings of undergraduate programs in Engineering and Business. But as you know, undergraduate and graduate rankings are pretty similar. The same faculty, facilities and curriculum are shared by undergraduate and graduate students. </p>

<p>But I don't think Michigan is ranked ahead of Chicago or Harvard in almost every category. In fact, Harvard is ranked higher than Michigan is most disciplines (except for the Social Sciences and Engineering) and Michigan and Chicago are ranked pretty evenly.</p>

<p>UChicago, enjoy your #9 ranking as long as it lasts. Chicago has historcially been ranked around #15 according to the USNWR. I personally think Chicago should be ranked among the top 10 (I also think Michigan should be ranked around the top 10) because as an Economics major, I have always been in awe of your university, but the USNWR formula does not measure quality of education, it measures comformity. I would be very surprised if Chicago did not drop back to #15 in August. </p>

<p>As for being from Ohio, I take it you had a very rough childhood. OSU beat Michigan just six times between 1980 and 2000 and just twice in the 90s. Of course, the last 5 or 6 years have favored OSU, but who knows what the future shall bring?!</p>

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<p>I only brought up the rankings because MattEisn kept bringing up USNews. And Alexandre, I love your logic that nothing in the present counts, lol. Good night.</p>

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<p>Touche! LOL!!! Goodnight...Buckeye!!!</p>

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<p>MattEisn,</p>

<p>Just so you know, admission of public U (including Michigan) is generally more mechanical than privates. What you said about Mich not caring as much about SAT is pretty baseless. If anything, it's UChicago that looks at the intangibles more.</p>

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<p>In keeping with the "serious nature" of the OP's initial question…</p>

<p>Some Michigan posters persist upon comparing their school to the lower level of the Ivies (Penn, Dartmouth, Cornell) and some prominent privates (U Chicago, Northwestern) while consistently ignoring the facts that have been presented to indicate that Michigan is significantly less selective and elite than they would like for you, dear reader, to appreciate. IMO, objective observers would conclude that Michigan is an excellent state university, but its average student quality is on par with to slightly behind Boston College. </p>

<p>The Michigan Methodology (to associate up and never change or consider lower ranked schools as peers) reminds me of a story that my husband likes to tell (names changed to protect the identity):</p>

<p>Alexander takes the day off of work and decides to go out golfing. He is on the 2nd hole when he notices a frog sitting next to the green. Thinking nothing of it, he is about to shoot when he hears, "Ribbit. 9 Iron" Alexander looks round and doesn't see anyone so he prepares again to hit the ball. "Ribbit. 9 Iron." He looks at the frog, shakes his head, and decides to prove the frog wrong. He puts his other club away, and grabs a 9 iron. Boom! He hits a birdie. He is shocked. He says to the frog, "Wow that's amazing. You must be a lucky frog, eh?" The frog reply's "Ribbit, Lucky frog. Lucky frog."</p>

<p>Alexander picks up the frog and takes the frog with him to the next hole. "What do you think about this one, frog?" Alexander asks. "Ribbit 3 wood." is the reply. Alexandre takes out a 3-wood and Boom! Hole-in-one. Alexander is befuddled and doesn't know what to say or think. By the end of the day, Alexander has played the best game of golf in his life and asks the frog, "Ok where to next?" The frog's reply, "Ribbit Las Vegas".</p>

<p>They go to Las Vegas and Alexander says, "Ok frog, now what?" The frog says, "Ribbit Roulette". Upon approaching the roulette table Alexander asks," What do you think I should bet?" The frog answers, "Ribbit $3000 black 6." Now, this is a million to one shot that this would win but, after the golf game, Alexander figures what the heck. Boom! Black 6!! Scores of black chips come sliding across the table to Alexander.</p>

<p>Alexander takes his winnings and buys the best room in the hotel. He sits the frog down and says, "Frog, I don't know how to repay you. You won me all this money and I am forever grateful." The frog replies, "Ribbit, Kiss Me". Alexander figures why not since, after all the frog did for him, he deserves it. All of a sudden the frog turns into the most gorgeous 17-year-old girl in the world.</p>

<p>"And that, your honor, is how the girl ended up in my room. That's my story and I'm sticking to it," said Alexander. </p>

<p>And so it goes with Michigan….</p>

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<p>Very well said Hawkette. It is in fact very amusing to witness some insecure Michigan Wolverines on this forum trying their hardest to make their school sound good by comparing it to better schools.</p>

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<p>hawkette,
Just turning up the heat, that's all.</p>

<p>Michigan is a yardstick by which all Universities are measured.</p>

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<p>"It is in fact very amusing to witness some insecure Michigan Wolverines on this forum trying their hardest to make their school sound good by comparing it to better schools."</p>

<p>uchicago2011, just because Michigan's ranked lower that makes it bad? Yes, UChicago's more prestigious and is stronger academically, but that doesn't mean Michigan is subpar.</p>

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<p>Starryblaze, I agree with you. Michigan is by no means subpar. By "sound good" I mean "sound better than it really is."</p>

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<p>You could always do what I did: go to both of them.</p>

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<p>Yeah, I have to agree with that. Michigan's a great school, but it's not Harvard or anything like some people make it. It's definitely one of the elite public school s though. Just seemed like you were dissing Michigan because you're from Ohio (which I am too) :)</p>

33

<p>My being from Ohio was brought up because a previous poster apparently thought football made Michigan elite. It has nothing to do with this.</p>

<p>Unfortunately, if you look at the other two "compare Michigan" threads on this forum, some Michiganers are indeed making Michigan out to be "the elite of the elite." Particularly interesting is the way they heavily emphasize the ways Michigan is good and then when the ways Michigan is not as good are brought up, they'll figure out ways to say there's "no big difference".</p>

34

<p>That was a joke, haha. I know that you being from Ohio has nothing to do with it.</p>

<p>I really am wondering, though, about the recent influx of <em>insert prestigious university here</em> vs. Michigan threads. Michigan's got many things going for it, but it doesn't have the academic caliber that the Ivies do. Maybe it's because Michigan takes a more diverse pool of applicants, at least in terms of academic performance.</p>

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<p>Thanks for the advice, guys. Any more? Her major is undecided, but she's interested in late 18th century English literature or Romanian Art History.</p>

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<p>personally, I would pick Chicago in this case ... i'm big on econ and the names that come out of the "chicago school" are just too big to be ignored. Regardless of their teaching ability, it'd be awesome to study under them.</p>

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<p>Nefer, it really depends on her personal preference. She should visit both schools and get a feel for their campus. Once on campus, she will know which school better suits her personality. Those two schools are so different in character that a student will love one and dislike the other. It is very rare that a student will like both equally.</p>

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<p>I think it's reasonable to compare Michigan to the Ivy League because their professors are of similar quality. Also, the students at the Honors program are as strong as Ivy League students. If you're smart and not so rich, would you rather pay $50,000 a year at an Ivy, or go to one of the best universities in America for much less, knowing you'll find a group of highly motivated students just like yourself?</p>

<p>That said, UChicago is a wonderful school. Nefer, the English department at Chicago has some real academic superstars. I have some friends at Chicago who attest that social life is really quite good if you make it so; it's Chicago, there's tons of clubs, music, etc.; the difference is that social life isn't as campus-oriented as at Michigan.</p>