I’m not sure what you mean @TooOld4School. It will be A good 20 minute walk from my daughters on central campus dorm to be to her nursing classes. . We’ve mapped it out and timed it recently.
I grew up in CT, went to school in the Boston area and then Ann Arbor. I didn’t find Ann Arbor much colder than the other two locations…summer starts a bit later and winter starts a bit earlier, but the differences are overdone. I can see there being a bit of shock for a person from California, but again, the difference is overdone.
The below table should provide a bit of perspective relative to some the location of some peer institutions:
Dartmouth to Equator 2974 miles 2974 65
Ithaca New York to Equator 2936 miles 2936 27
Boston to Equator 2915 miles 2915 6
Ann Arbor to Equator 2909 miles 2909 0
Evanston to Equator 2882 miles 2882 -27
Chicago to Equator 2882 Miles 2882 -27
Providence Rhode Island 2878 Miles 2878 -31
New Haven to Equator 2843 miles 2843 -66
New York to Equator 2816 miles 2816 -93
Princeton NJ to Equator 2799 miles 2799 -110
Philadelpia to Equator 2749 miles 2749 -160
San Francisco to Equator 2599 miles 2599 -310
Stanford to Equator 2572 miles 2572 -337
@maya54 Sometimes it is hard to understand those kids.
Yes, I went to MSU. Which is weather-identical to U of M.
I work with counseling students (at U of M). Just because they stayed doesn’t mean they didn’t have depressive episodes 
Well, notwithstanding almost identical latitude, Ann Arbor is colder on average in winter than coastal New England which is warmed somewhat by the Gulf Stream. Not that you can’t have cold, snowy weather in Boston, but on average there’s more of it in Ann Arbor. Ithaca, on the other hand, seems to be a bit colder and snowier than Ann Arbor. And what I recall from my Boston days is lots of cold, freezing rain in winter, which to my mind is worse than a couple of degrees colder and snow.
Average daily high/low (average monthly snowfall in inches), Ann Arbor, Boston, and Ithaca:
November: Ann Arbor 48/33 (3), Boston 51/38 (1), Ithaca 47/32 (5)
December: Ann Arbor 35/23 (13), Boston 41/28 (9), Ithaca 36/22 (13)
January: Ann Arbor 31/18 (16), Boston 36/22 (13), Ithaca 31/15 (18)
February: Ann Arbor 35/20 (13), Boston 39/25 (11), Ithaca 34/17 (14)
March: Ann Arbor 46/27 (9), Boston 45/31 (8), Ithaca 42/23 (12)
April: Ann Arbor 60/38 (3), Boston 56/41 (2), Ithaca 56/34 (3)
bclintonk, while Ann Arbor is technically colder than Boston, statistically anyway, a 4-5 degree variance is hardly significant. Both have cold but reasonable winters.
@billcsho. Fair point!
“I work with counseling students (at U of M). Just because they stayed doesn’t mean they didn’t have depressive episodes.”
“Depressive episodes” happen everywhere. That is not unique to Michigan at all.
I beg to differ. I’ve lived several places in the Midwest (Ann Arbor, Chicago, the UP, Saint Paul) and several places on the East Coast (Boston, New York City, Washington, New Haven, Princeton). All the Midwest locations are colder and snowier in winter than any of the East Coast locations. The least different pairwise comparison would be between Ann Arbor and Boston, but Ann Arbor is without question colder and snowier, not just “technically” or “statistically” but in my lived experience. And note that the 4-5 degree difference isn’t a uniform daily difference, it’s a monthly average. That means that while there are many winter days on which the temperature is similar in Ann Arbor and Boston and some days on which Ann Arbor is actually warmer than Boston, Ann Arbor tends to get deeper, longer, and more frequent cold spells, and Boston a few more warm spells. Californians generally can’t tell the difference; they think the winter sucks in both the Midwest and the Northeast, and my guess is that would be true for most Floridians, too. Most native Midwesterners I know who have ended up in the coastal Northeast or lived there for extended periods would say there’s a definite, noticeable difference. That difference isn’t all to Boston’s advantage, however. I much prefer 28 degrees and snow to 32 degrees and freezing rain; Ann Arbor gets a bit more of the former, Boston a bit more of the latter.
Ann Arbor’s winter weather is actually milder than the interior (non-coastal) Northeast, in places like Ithaca, Middlebury, Amherst, or Hanover, but you don’t hear many people say they wouldn’t go to Cornell, Middlebury, Amherst, or Dartmouth because of the horrible winters. A handful, maybe, but those schools also have impressive applicant pools, yields, freshman retention rates, and graduation rates, so the winter weather can’t be too much of a deterrent.
I do not disagree with you bclintonk, I just don’t think Boston is significantly warmer than Ann Arbor. In other words, someone shouldn’t choose Boston College over Michigan simply because Boston is warmer than Ann Arbor.
http://thetab.com/us/michigan/2016/12/23/best-ways-procrastinate-university-michigan-3688
Funny things to do on campus
Faced the same decision two years ago with Michigan, UNC, and NU. I strongly encourage you to visit UNC and Michigan if you can. I was dead set on NU, literally minutes away from putting my deposit down, until I went to Michigan Campus Day. Everything changed. Just finished up my 3rd term and I absolutely love this school.
I really liked UNC too, more than NU to be honest. Very very similar in many different ways to Michigan. However when you really put them up against each other, Michigan definitely edges out UNC. I was never a fan of the academic scandal and the extreme intellectual disparity between the OOS and in state students there.
Anyways, you are in a situation where whatever school you chose you are going to love and receive an elite education at the same time. Congratulations. Go Blue!
As a current student who lives on campus, I am going to have to disagree. It is not only possible to spend 10+ minutes outside in the cold, but very likely. If you are going from any of the Palmer field area Hill neighborhood dorms to Angell/Mason halls, that is 15 minutes in the cold right there. If you want to take bus, but you miss it or it is too full (happens quite often during peak time), that means you are going to wait 10-15 minutes for the next bus.
Let’s not forget the fact that it is almost impossible to live in the dorms all 4 years unless you are resstaff (like an RA).
It is pretty much impossible to avoid the cold as a UM Ann Arbor student (bundle up!).
I’ve been reading a lot about the pros and cons of living in North Campus. My D has been accepted into the vocal performance program. We are deciding between several good college choices, but my biggest problem with Michigan is the lack of guaranteed housing all four years. The costs to attend this school is on par with other “elite” institutions, yet the housing situation is surprisingly lacking. This is my 3rd kid to go to school. Housing is huge with us as we don’t have car money too. Can a student elect to stay on campus all 4 years?
Thanks for your input.
@Razzyreb housing is guaranteed for freshmen who meet the housing deadline in may. don’t bring a car to campus even if you live off campus because it’s so hard to find parking spots and there’s so much public transportation available. many of the off campus housing are walking distance away from campus and some are even closer than the dorms. umich housing capacity is like around 31% because it cannot house all 28,000 of its undergrads. most students move off campus sophomore or junior year, and its very easy to find off campus housing. the university is very supportive with helping find off campus housing, and its actually cheaper than on campus housing most of the time so you would actually be saving money, and many students prefer it to the dorms. students can apply for on campus housing each year, but its harder to get it after freshmen year. congrats on your daughter! umich has an excellent music, theater, and dance school.
Cars are not needed. Students can live near campus or near a university bus stop. The university bus system is excellent.
Michigan may not have housing for all four years, but students can easily move into an apartment or house near campus with a friend or friends.
@Razzyreb Four years of guaranteed housing is actually a rarity at most American universities. Even places like Georgetown, Notre Dame and Chicago do not guarantee on-campus university housing for all four years. In the case of Ann Arbor, students have no difficulty finding affordable housing. Most students share a house, and during your freshman year students gradually form groups or find someone to live with. I really wouldn’t worry about it.
@Razzyreb First of all, Congrats to your daughter! Vocal performance program at UM is excellent. We are from the East Coast so my daughter does not bring a car to UM. Great transportation around campus. Michigan Flyer bus is an easy $12 ride to the airport. I wouldn’t worry about a car. Also, UM has so many off campus housing options that are closer than many dorms. My daughter is moving into a house with 6 friend (her own bedroom) next year (Junior). It’s closer than many dorms to her classed (walk to all) and it’s probably a tad cheaper than a dorm. Ann Arbor is ideal for off campus housing for those that want to go out of a dorm. I wouldn’t turn down UM over this. UM is the total package! Good luck to her!
Great point MichiganDad22. Ann Arbor is such a cool city. Why would a student want to isolate him/herself from livin in town all four years? Personally, I couldn’t imagine living in a university dorm for four years. Branching out and growing up are all a part of going away to school. IMHO moving away from a dorm after a year, or two at most, would be the ideal situation for the vast majority of students. Michigan and Ann Arbor provide that total collegiate experience.
@MichiganDad22 That’s what most Michigan students I have known have done. There are some great houses in AA and most are very close to campus buildings and very affordable (I’ve known students on financial aid and they’ve been able to afford their rent on their FA awards). Everyone I have known has had their own bedroom. As UM’s campus is huge, you really aren’t living “off campus” but in the heart of it.