<p>Ann Arbor (A squared, as it’s known in town; I just can’t write that in this post) is a small city but in terms of things to do, IMHO, there is a lot more to do there than in South Bend. For its size, there is tremendous support of the arts in AA, so as a student, you can have the opportunity to see some very large acts come into town–whether your taste runs to popular or classical music. In addition, Ann Arbor is home to the Ark, a smaller music venue that brings in many enormously talented groups on their way up in the musical world. You might see an act there that you’ve never heard of, then in a few years, those same acts are known around the world. When a musician or group hits it big, they often return to the Ark in gratitude to the people who promoted them early in their careers. I’ve heard some amazing music in the Ark’s intimate setting. </p>
<p>If you can’t find enough to do in town, and you have a car, Chicago and Pittsburgh are both about 5 hours away; many people also visit Canada and the northern part of the state, which is gorgeous. It’s certainly cold there, but I would not describe the winters as bleak. Coming from Pittsburgh, Ann Arbor has an unreasonable amount of sunshine: not fair!</p>
<p>Ann Arbor has a small and charming downtown that is easily within walking distance from the campus area. As for students, you can expect a much larger and more diverse student body. At least at the graduate level, I met lots of people from around the world and that in itself was a great education. There’s a lot to learn from diversity and many challenges to face in such a LARGE school. I occasionally tried to take undergrad courses related to my dissertation and was often shut out. U of M’s administration knows its size can be daunting and so they have created special programs like the Residential College for students who want a smaller educational experience. </p>
<p>For engineering students, though, the size of the school may not be a problem. The engineering program has taken over the old Park Davis Pharmaceutical site north of campus and that is a beautiful area. Michigan’s engineering programs are very highly rated and Michigan has put enormous resources into that program. It’s almost as if the Engineering students have their own little campus and all the benefits of a great school and a wonderful small town. </p>
<p>I don’t know ND as well, so I cannot compare the schools. For those who are considering ND for its Catholic environment, you certainly won’t find that at U of M, but you can grow your faith anywhere if you put the care and time into that. I loved my time at U of M. It was a very heady, intellectual place. with Ann Arbor creating a fun, stimulating, manageable bubble to live in while you studied. And of course, there is football and the big house. Trying to cross Ann Arbor on a football Saturday, for any other reason than going to the game, is the definition of insanity. In the end, both schools are great, but they are very different. If I were an engineering student, it would be a hard choice, but for my d. it was easy. She liked Mich, but she is looking for the challenge, community and the Catholic environment she found at ND. GOOD LUCK. May God bless you with wisdom. </p>
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<p>A few responses to this.</p>
<p>1) Never been to Ann Arbor. I’ve heard many good things (though some bad, also, to be fair). I will say it probably blows South Bend out of the water, but most places do.</p>
<p>2) I highly doubt the individual connection at Mich is as good as ND, and UM’s campus isn’t as nice as ND’s. Also, stuff like dorm life and the Catholic tradition. IDK how it affects the OP. But that’s something for him/her to definitely consider. As much as South Bend sucks, ND’s campus, the dorm life, the Catholic nature (if you are Catholic), etc makes up for it.</p>
<p>3) UM football has a great tradition, definitetly up there with the big schools such as ND, OSU, Texas, USC, Alabama, etc. That said, it’s not as big as at ND, and its student section is not as good as ND’s.</p>
<p>4) Chicago is only about 1.5 hours from ND. It’s about 3.5-4 from UM. Pretty big difference. Many ND students frequently take a weekend in Chicago, a few times a semester. That’s not really possible at Mich. To be honest, I don’t know what the huge fascination would be with going to Pittsburgh (no offense), but it’s probably not that much further if you’re at ND, anyway. Canada’s OK, I guess, but you’re still pretty far from anything other than Windsor at UM.</p>
<p>5) This may sound stupid, but if the OP’s whole family is ND legacies/supporters, and he/she grew up loving it, the OP may feel very, very uncomfortable cheering for Michigan in athletics (especially against ND). Again, this isn’t a huge deal, but something to consider.</p>
<p>6) I don’t know about the engineering schools, but judging from the responses, it sounds like UM’s is better. Of course, engineering’s a lot of work, and many students (even very, very hard-working ones) drop. If the OP doesn’t like engineering, while he/she will have good options at UM, chances are, ND’s will be better. I chose ND over another school that I was considering based solely on a major, in case I ended up not wanting to go into that field.</p>
<p>7) Isn’t really related to this post, but I’ll ask it anyway (to the OP). Where are you from? If you’re from Mich, then that’s a pretty cheap tuition (relative to ND). Out of state, there’s virtually no difference.</p>
