Parent questions about Michigan

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Michigan
1

Would appreciate some feedback on the following.

1 - For kids from the East Coast, how taxing does it become to commute for 4 years to Ann Arbor? They no longer get driven to, or picked up from school, but rather have to fly those little commuter planes. How are those planes on a freezing snowy winter day?

2 - How safe is Ann Arbor? Looked safe to to me.

3 - What sort of impact does Greek life have of socialization at umich? The school my son attends and th eother acceptances my D has are for schools were it would appear Greek life monopolizes much of social activities.

4 - How much can be shaved off tuition by your second year year if you live in an apartment with friends and get off meal plan?

5 - How good and proactive is the university about addressing sexual assault?

6 - Is it possible to have the same sort of relationship with teachers and advisors at Umich as one could have at a smaller liberal arts college?

7 - The weather, honestly, how much of a drag is it? On a small campus I would say snow is attractive, but is it an issue if you’re commuting 10-15 min to class by bus?

8 - Are Umich kids really as great and friendly as they seemed on my visit? Or is there a lot of competition in the classes?

9 - Do students take advantage of the great college town or do they end up staying in their dorms for months because of the weather?

10 - Do students have ready access to tickets to sporting events or is it expensive and difficult to get these?

2
  1. Ann Arbor is very safe. You can easily find the stat on internet.
  2. Greek Life is one way for social activities. Most students are not in Greek Life and there are plenty of alternatives for social activities. There are clubs/societies, residential programs, etc.
  3. The R&B is around $11k and 60% of it is for the shared double room. My D is sharing a two BR apartment with 3 friends for around $500/mo which comes to also $6k per year. The saving is mainly from the food.
  4. There have been multiple programs in the last year regarding this. The Greek Life was suspended for a few months because of that too.
  5. It depends on major. Residential college may give you a smaller school feel.
  6. Not a problem. Just get a good jacket and have enough layers. A pair of snow boots too
  7. It depends. There are all kinds of students, but in general, they are very collaborative.
  8. Depends on personality. Most students enjoy walking around town and the city bus is free for students too. So they can walk to down town for a meal or catch the bus to the shopping mall. There is even a bus to Chicago. I moved from Texas to Ann Arbor many years ago and the winter weather is pretty mild even for me. It is not like Minnesota or Wisconsin.
  9. Student season ticket is the best deal. You may even try to sell the ticket you don't need to lower the cost.
3
  1. They come home less often is all. Detroit to LaGuardia or Boston is easy, about an hour and twenty. The plane is small but not a prop plane. It’s like a DC-NY commuter plane.

My S is not Greek. Most kids are not. It’s no big deal. He definitely does not stay in all winter. It’s cold but doable. You can enjoy the town, if you have the $. Great places too eat.

2nd year apt is cheaper, but they are 12 month leases, not that easy to sublet. Food is cheaper than the meal plan tho.

4

Nice thing about the meal plan on campus is that it doesn’t limit how often you go. Students can swipe 6 times a day if they choose. Like HRSMom said, leases are a full year off campus.