?s about the University of Michigan

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Michigan
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<p>Hello and thank you for reading this thread. :)</p>

<p>I'm a senior in high school in Michigan and have applied to the University of Michigan EA a while ago. I have some questions about Michigan that I hope you can answer.</p>

<p>How difficult is it for freshman to engage in research--especially in chemistry and math? How is UROP in this regard and overall? What is your opinion on the MRC?</p>

<p>How accessible and willing are the professors to help?</p>

<p>Are the TAs at Michigan bad? Which classes would you expect to see TAs? Which types of classes at Michigan are the smaller ones? Any in the sciences, math, or Arabic?</p>

<p>When they say Michigan has a "strong" program, what does that mean? Does that mean a breadth of classes and information are taught there, strong faculty teach the information, or something else?</p>

<p>Is it hard to get away from the parties/drinking at Michigan? I know Michigan has other venues for entertainment that would be better for me, but still I don't want to be a part of it for religious and personal reasons.</p>

<p>How friendly is the student body? Are there cliques or are people generally affable and helpful to one another? Is there a collaborative academic environment?</p>

<p>I am also very interested in the LSA Honors program at Michigan and feel that environment fits me. I realize that the supplemental essay is important for the program, but what ACT and GPA would you recommend for this program? </p>

<p>How generous is U of M with merit aid? </p>

<p>Also, I've heard that Michigan rejects some applicants in the top 25% of its class because the university thinks that they may not attend if accepted. Is this true?</p>

<p>Once again, thank you very much. I appreciate it. :)</p>

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<p>It shouldn’t be that difficult but will require you to assert yourself. UROP/MRC is a vehicle for this.</p>

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<p>It depends on the professor but they are more willing than you would expect but again you need to assert yourself. They do not go out of their way to help if you do not make an effort.</p>

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<p>Some of the TA’s are better than others. Some are very good. You usually see them in math, writing and foreign language classes and discussion sections where there are large lectures. You can check class sizes online in the course guide but there are a large number of small classes. Math classes are usually smaller. Science usually larger. I don’t know about Arabic but I would guess smaller because most language classes are capped at 25.</p>

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<p>All are correct. Also the quality of the research and the publications.</p>

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<p>There are plenty of students who aren’t interested in drinking. It is probably easier at a school the size of Michigan than smaller schools to find an alternative venue. You may have to look a little harder to find it than you would to find the party scene.</p>

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<p>I don’t think it as at either extreme. I would suggest you visit and observe for yourself. If you have friends who go there, it would be helpful to go up for a weekend.</p>

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<p>I think about 15% of the freshman class is in honors.</p>

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<p>Unless you are an exceptional student, I would not consider the merit aid to be generous. They may offer something. Large merit offers are limited.</p>

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<p>I have never heard that there is much of a Tufts effect at Michigan. They may reject you if your application indicates a lack of interest but I think that this would be rare. Michigan is not obsessed with yield statistics like some of the privates.</p>

<p>Good luck and Go Blue!</p>

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<p>“How difficult is it for freshman to engage in research–especially in chemistry and math? How is UROP in this regard and overall? What is your opinion on the MRC?”</p>

<p>It depends when you make the request. If you apply for research opportunities early (before April 15), you are virtually guaranteed to get a position. Even if you do not get placed through UROP or MRC (great option, if only for the dorm), you can usually find research positions with faculty once you are on campus…assuming you do well in your Chemistry classes.</p>

<p>“How accessible and willing are the professors to help?”</p>

<p>Faculty is usually accessible. My experience with faculty at Michigan was that they will never turn away a student in need of help. As long as students take the initiative, faculty will almost always be receptive. I hear great things about Chemistry professors in this regard.</p>

<p>“Are the TAs at Michigan bad? Which classes would you expect to see TAs? Which types of classes at Michigan are the smaller ones? Any in the sciences, math, or Arabic?”</p>

<p>Arabic will not usually have TAs. Generally speaking, only faculty teach Arabic. TAs in most science classes will usually only be used as discussion/lab leaders, and they will seldom be used beyond intro-level classes. As for the quality of TAs, it ranges from mediocre to excellent. Most TAs are usually solid.</p>

<p>“When they say Michigan has a “strong” program, what does that mean? Does that mean a breadth of classes and information are taught there, strong faculty teach the information, or something else?”</p>

<p>It means world-class facilities, wealth of resources, great research ops, leading faculty etc…</p>

<p>“Is it hard to get away from the parties/drinking at Michigan? I know Michigan has other venues for entertainment that would be better for me, but still I don’t want to be a part of it for religious and personal reasons.”</p>

<p>Not at all. I personally do not drink, nor did most of my friends. None of us had trouble socializing on campus. There are plenty of venues for socializing and entertainment for students who do not enjoy the “party” scene.</p>

<p>“How friendly is the student body? Are there cliques or are people generally affable and helpful to one another? Is there a collaborative academic environment?”</p>

<p>Students at Michigan are pretty friendly and helpful, but you have your usual range of types, from really nice to not-so-nice.</p>

<p>“I am also very interested in the LSA Honors program at Michigan and feel that environment fits me. I realize that the supplemental essay is important for the program, but what ACT and GPA would you recommend for this program?”</p>

<p>Generally speaking, students with 3.9+ unweighed GPA and 1400+ (CR+M) / 32+ on the SAT/ACT, if admitted into the university, have a 30% chance of getting into the honors program. </p>

<p>“How generous is U of M with merit aid?”</p>

<p>Not very generous at all. Michigan is not known for giving our scholarships.</p>

<p>“Also, I’ve heard that Michigan rejects some applicants in the top 25% of its class because the university thinks that they may not attend if accepted. Is this true?”</p>

<p>Not at all. Why would any university do that? Of course, if a student is obviously apply to Michigan as a safety (poor essays, late submission of the application etc…), the University will probably not extend an offer. At any rate, students merely ranked in the top 25% of their class usually do not stand a chance of getting in. 40% of Michigan students were ranked in the top 1% of their high school class, 75% in the top 5% and 95% in the top 10%. Students who are ranked out of the top 10% are usually rejected, unless they attend an elite high school, but those do not usually ranked their students anyway.</p>

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<p>“Also, I’ve heard that Michigan rejects some applicants in the top 25% of its class because the university thinks that they may not attend if accepted. Is this true?”</p>

<p>Sounds like someone didn’t get in and then made up an excuse for why</p>

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<p>Thank you Alexandre and res ipsa for your thoughtful and informative replies! I can’t tell you how much both of you have helped me. :)</p>

<p>Alexandre, I meant the top 25% of Michigan’s class and not high school class, but res ipsa already answered that. Sorry for the misunderstanding.</p>

<p>If I may, could I ask a few more questions? </p>

<p>How is U of M with study abroad–especially to the Middle East and North Africa? When do you recommend to study abroad?</p>

<p>If I have a 35 ACT and 4.0 GPA, would Michigan offer any merit aid? My parents can afford Michigan, so that’s of no concern if you were wondering.</p>

<p>I’ve looked into tutoring and volunteering at U of M since I love doing both at my high school. I’ve found Michigan having many tutoring centers and would love to participate in it as an upperclassmen in the future. In terms of volunteering, though, how many opportunities are there to actively participate with the surrounding Ann Arbor community and Michigan’s extensive health system?</p>

<p>Do you know whether there is a group of Shi<code>a at U of M? I know about Michigan’s MSA, but I would specifically like to know about the Shi</code>a populace at Michigan. I would imagine there would be some from Dearborn, right? </p>

<p>ThisIsMichigan, I believe you are right that this might have been an excuse that became a rumor.</p>

<p>Thank you all so much! :)</p>

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<p>There is a large number of study abroad programs. Some are sponsored by U-M but many are sponsored by other groups. I am not familiar with study abroad to the Middle East and North Africa. You want to be careful as to how the credits transfer back to U-M especially with foreign language credit. I don’t know if there is a better or worse time to study abroad. Some of it depends on your concentration of study and when it best to get away. Many students go away during the winter so they don’t miss football season and they miss the worst of the Michigan winter. It is probably easier to deal with housing if you study abroad in the fall. There are also summer programs.</p>

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<p>With those stats you will probably offered something but I would not bank on anything of major significance although it is possible. Look at the in-state tuition as substantial scholarship comparable to comparable opportunities out of state.</p>

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<p>The opportunities are endless. Look at Soc 389 for opportunties to do community service work for credit. [Sociology</a> 389 Course Information | The Ginsberg Center for Community Service Learning](<a href=“http://ginsberg.umich.edu/projectcommunity/sociology-389-course-information]Sociology”>http://ginsberg.umich.edu/projectcommunity/sociology-389-course-information) There are also tutoring opportunities - some of which are volunteer and others for pay.</p>

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<p>I know nothing about this.</p>