<p>I just discovered a website and there was A LOT of negative feedback on UM from current and past students, mostly with regard to the quality of the professors and GSIs and the competitive, arrogant nature of the student body. I was pretty much sold on UM before I read these accounts of how miserable these kids' experiences have been and am now wondering if I should be as in favor of my son attending the university next fall as an engineering major. We are OOS, have been offered no financial aid, so we definitely want him to select a school that will provide him not only with a strong educational foundation and excellent job prospects, but will also be a place he enjoys and not just a factory where he's surrounded by competitive, obnoxious people! While I am sure there are competitive, obnoxious people at every college, I don't want it to be the majority of the student body or the overriding feeling on campus. He is prepared to work hard -- and he's not really the partying type -- but I don't want college to be a largely unpleasant experience, especially given how much money will be invested in his education. If anyone, whether student or parent, could respond to these concerns -- particularly those with kids in the engineering program at UM -- I would really appreciate it. Obviously, we're getting close to the wire for a decision, so any and all input is certainly welcome!</p>
<p>shorner, those are anonymous posts. There is no way of validating who is posting those comments (or if indeed they are even students or alums of the university they are rating), and their motives. By and large, most people who attend Michigan have a positive experience. However, like at any university, you are going to have dissatisfied students and alums. Assuming you are referring to the same site that I think you are, Michigan’s average satisfaction rating was 3.7/5.0. Other schools with similar satisfaction ratings include:</p>
<p>Brown University 3.6
Columbia University 3.6
Cornell University 3.6
Duke University 3.8
Northwestern University 3.5
University of California-Berkeley 3.5
University of California-Los Angeles 3.8
University of Chicago 3.6
University of Michigan 3.7
University of Pennsylvania 3.7
University of Wisconsin-Madison 3.7</p>
<p>So Michigan’s rating is similar to many of its peers. </p>
<p>Ultimately, choosing a university is a matter of instinct, and if you (and your son) have doubts, it is best to go to a university that you feel more at ease with. Like you said, this is a substantial investment and you want to minimize risk as much as possible.</p>
<p>I that is the only place you found negative feedback, you can totally forget about it. If that is a common issue, you will find it here and everywhere.</p>
<p>Thanks so much for the feedback… I am definitely not suggesting that I would base a decision this major on several anonymous posts I read on a website! I have done a lot of research throughout my son’s application process, so I am pretty well versed in the stats and advantages of one school vs. another. What I would love to hear is how current students and their families have felt about their overall UM experience, especially those with firsthand experience with the engineering program.</p>
<p>Sure, I was an engineering major and graduated in December. I’ll answer any questions honestly. I don’t know what your son intends to major in, but I did IOE and CSE. </p>
<p>I think UM is a pretty good school, with some notable flaws. Some that immediately come to mind are:</p>
<p>The parking situation. It sucks unless you have a blue pass - which undergrads can’t get and is absurdly expensive even if you can get one</p>
<p>IOE is easy to the point where it’s not well respected</p>
<p>The quality of prerequisite classes, they’re all pretty bad. Major and Elective classes are pretty good generally but the prerequisites suck.</p>
<p>It’s very expensive. Especially when you’re taking prerequisite classes, these are often better at a community college while being 1/5 the cost. </p>
<p>I generally think my education was too application focused and not theoretical enough to provide the understanding that it should. Not all classes were like this, but overall this is what I’d say.</p>
<p>As for your specific concerns: </p>
<p>I’m not the partying type either, I had no problems. The student body in engineering is pretty cooperative, rarely competitive, but this is very different in Ross or for Pre-Meds. This is not to say that he can get by with As with minimal understanding of the material or that no one tries hard or is smart or anything like that, but people will generally help each other understand the material. I’ve never heard of that intentionally feeding someone wrong information or anything like that at all in engineering at Michigan. </p>
<p>Some people are obnoxious, I can definitely think of a few. But it’s not everybody, nor even most people. Most people are basically normal people. </p>
<p>I will say that, while I don’t know your kid, it’s my current opinion that a better school only provides a higher limit of what you’re going to be able to do right out of college. Michigan is the only school in the state which I think has no ceiling, you can go anywhere from Michigan, and I’ve known people who have gone to any prestigious place you can think of. </p>
<p>Yes, parking is definitely an issue, however, it is a very common issue among schools in this size. It is indeed better than most Big Ten schools I have visited even for smaller ones.</p>
<p>Thanks so much for taking the time to provide your feedback, Vladenschlutte… Much appreciated. My son would be a ME major, which sounds as though it will be pretty challenging. I am disappointed to hear about the pre-req classes being so poor, especially for the $ being spent. Is that across the board or just specific subjects?</p>
<p>“shorner, those are anonymous posts. There is no way of validating who is posting those comments (or if indeed they are even students or alums of the university they are rating), and their motives.”</p>
<p>This is so very true. We even have a resident ■■■■■ on this board who constantly invents screen names just to disparage the quality and desirability of Michigan. It is wise to visit the campus yourself and see what you think. </p>
<p>“This is so very true. We even have a resident ■■■■■ on this board who constantly invents screen names just to disparage the quality and desirability of Michigan.”</p>
<p>Hehe! We actually have several trolls. I have identified at least three who keep coming back.</p>
<p>shorner, no two experiences are identical. College is what you make of it. Students who make the right choices will have a great experience. Michigan certainly has the resources to provide each of its students with an excellent experience.</p>
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<p>Pretty much across the board but if he’s taking one of the advanced prerequisites (like instead of the 115-116-215-216 math he can do 295-296-395-396) that’s completely different. Those can be very good but it might be too hard for someone who isn’t math inclined. </p>
<p>If he is interested in Michigan and the money is a concern I’d recommend very seriously that he go to a community college and transfer. He could even go to WCC in Ann Arbor so he gets a feeling for the city, and it’s pretty easy to transfer from WCC. He can probably knock out all the prerequisites in a year. </p>
<p>“IOE is easy to the point where it’s not well respected”</p>
<p>Hold on there. Most of the people who claim IOE is so easy are people who are not even in IOE. They actually don’t know what the classes are like. Also, it’s not like everyone in IOE gets all A’s. Furthermore, a lot of the information you learn is actually useful and applicable to the real world. The content you learn in IOE 310 (Optimization methods), IOE 366 (Linear Statistical Models), IOE 373 (Data Processing), and IOE 474 (simulation) can be applied to many areas. More importantly, employers love IOE’s. It is definitely one of the more employable majors in the college of engineering.</p>
<p>Michigan fills their incoming class with very intelligent kids that were at the top of their HS class. Some of these may not be particularly fun or may have a bit of attitude. That is not unique to Michigan. You will find that at any extremely selective school. </p>
<p>Your son’s ability to fit in and enjoy his experience will largely be dependent on him and his ability to make friends. A shy kid that didn’t enjoy HS and had a hard time making friends often will not find things to be much different at (any) college. </p>
<p>Michigan should not be any more or less obnoxious and competitive than any similar engineering program. </p>
<p>Shorner,fwiw, my son had attended a small, intimate, gifted high school program that was socratic. Since it wasn’t a traditional hs, and since hes never been competitive-minded academically, and much prefers a collaborative environment, I wasn’t sure how he’d fare at a large and presumably more grade-focused univesity like Umich that naturally has a high proportion of competitive-natured students. On one hand, he was a bit guileless…and on the other, not fond of artifice :)</p>
<p>He absolutely loved Umich. He found and formed friendships with collegial-natured folks across disciplines, including engineering, While there were certainly a few profs he could have lived without personality-wise and red tape he’d rather have avoided, for the most part he found the profs/instructional staff to be outstanding regardless of whether they suited his own learning style. (I am often amused to see same, now that he’s graduated, on his Facebook 
</p>
<p>In his case, he probably has enjoyed university more than high school, and I don’t think this phenom is uncommon. I also think that many people who don’t enjoy high school do find their stride in university.</p>
<p>I think ultimately feedback is a reflection of both a person’s disposition coupled with their sense of belonging/appreciation and capacity to contribute to their environment. I’m not saying all negative feedback is sour grapes, but often one’s environment is “who you’re being about it” more than something defined by an objective metric 
</p>
<p>For some students who are accustomed to “being at the top” the new experience of being among equals or receiving less recognition in a large, multi-talented student body can be a bit of a shocker. Not everyone adjusts. For example, ask a kid about their school after they’ve gotten the first C ( or D) in their life and you’ll get a different answer than any other day There is weeding, and there is a very un-inflated GPA phenom in Mich’s engineering, btw. </p>
<p>With that said, I am wishing you the very best in your son’s journey, which I suspect is likely to be a very satisfying one. If he’s feeling comfortable with the fit and you’re reasonably comfortable with the finances, you should be in good shape ;)</p>
<p>Also, with repect to anonymous reviews, Yelp, for example, has a wide range of varying rating. If you want to read a mixed bag where the ultimate rating is still very high, take a look there :)</p>
<p>Thank you so much for all the great feedback – and especially for the specific insight related to your son, @kmcmom13! My son is pretty much at the top of his public HS, in terms of academics, leadership and athletics… There is no doubt UM will be a bit of a shocker at first for him!! Although not a partier, he is the type of person who has solid friendships with a diverse group of students and isn’t afraid to not be among the “cool kids,” which is a quality that I think will do him well wherever he ends up. UM has the strongest program for engineering, particularly ME, of the schools he’s been accepted to, so I believe it is the best choice for him. He has been out to visit (in the winter, even!) and liked it… I was hoping he’d have that “wow” reaction the way he did with UT Austin, but I guess UM in the winter might not illicit that type of enthusiasm – should’ve had him visit in the fall, I guess!!! Anyway, I truly appreciate everyone’s time and helpful feedback on UM… Keep it coming!! :-)</p>
<p>Did he go to the Campus Day for admitted student or get invited to the Spring Welcome Day this weekend? It should be the best time to visit UM before final decision right now.</p>
<p>He went to a Campus Day for admitted students in early March, @billcsho, so he’s seen the campus and learned about the engineering program.</p>
<p>My son is considering UMich for economics/business. He visited in October on a beautiful day and was “wowed”. He did an overnight with a friend from school who is a freshman in honors housing. He loved the group of kids he met. He said they were intellectual but fun. He has gotten into some great schools including UChicago, UNC Chapel Hill, but Michigan is his favorite. We are from upstate NY so the winter isn’t something that bothers him. </p>
<p>@shorner
Unfortunately, early March is still Winter this year.
My D is also going to CoE this year. She picked UMich over Northwestern and UIUC.</p>
<p>Yup, it was definitely still winter – and he didn’t bring the appropriate clothing either, so that didn’t help!!! 
So cool that your D is attending this fall! What area of engineering? Where are you guys from – in state or OOS? Northwestern and UIUC are certainly great schools, so she had some tough decisions to make as well!</p>