<p>Daughter accepted to both. Unsure of major - accepted to Undergraduate Studies at UT and LSA at UM. She visited UM recently and liked what she saw. Will visit UT this weekend, and I suspect that she'll like it as well..... While I hope that the choice is VERY obvious after both visits, I fear that this will be a difficult one for her. I should also say that she is OOS in both instances. Personally, I don't care what she chooses. Just want a happy kid in an environment she likes and will thrive in. </p>
<p>I do not know what to offer, as an impartial parent, comments other than the obvious "Texas weather kills Ann Arbor weather" or the more debatable " UM seems more prestigious than UT". I believe the 1st is true but get the sense that the latter statement, if true, could be qualified by adding "yes, but not by much." Not sure if prestige is important to her - though in the age of USNWR and other rankings, I imagine it would be hard for any teenage to ignore them. </p>
<p>Did you see the hard-sell the Texans gave Jolynne Smyth on her post about UT and UAB? Find it, and you’ll see plenty of reasons to love UT and Austin. :D</p>
<p>^^^ Yep, I was one of them! I’m taking S down there on Wednesday to look at the campus and talk to the track coach. I LOVED my six years in Austin (BS and MS in engineering), and I’m hopeful S will like what he sees. I never felt lost in a crowd. I DID like all the opportunities for study and recreation. After taking S on a trip to look at colleges in the northeast last month, I’m even more excited about UT. I had to keep biting my tongue, because I was thinking, “Boy, THIS doesn’t compare to Texas!”</p>
<p>MaineLonghorn - if your son is good enough to run (i.e. make the team) at Texas or Michigan, he is a very, very good athlete. </p>
<p>Both track programs are excellent - although Michigan has a storied history in middle and long distance running second only to a few - Oregon and Arkansas and Villanova being the only likely superiors. And the level of competition in the Big 12 and the Big 10 is incredibly high - with great national schedules for those that improve. </p>
<p>Both schools are academically excellent - not sure there is a difference unless one particular department offers something special for him. For every slight bit of bonus ascribed to UM, there is a counterpoint to be made about UT. The nation’s best accounting school is at Austin - a laurel even the prestigious Ross school does not quite match. </p>
<p>If running is his long term thing, I would remind him about the heat in Austin. Cold weather is tough for many - but Ann Arbor weather is mostly fine if not downright comfortable for runners (40F weather makes for efficient running and heat exchange). There are very few days where running can’t be done outside. There are 6 am practices in Austin to beat the heat. There is limited flexibility on those hot and humid days - track is a two a day practice deal in college - only a very few can get by on single practices - and the hot weather ends up dictating life schedules. No “morning” practice at 9am. Not sure this is a big deal - Texas has had a group of sub-four minute milers lately - but it would factor in my decision.</p>
<p>I’m a proud UT alum, so obviously, I think there is a lot to like about the school. But U Mich is an awesome school, too. I agree, it might be a tough decision, unless your daughter has a strong feeling one way or the other after this weekend.</p>
<p>FYI, there is a “UT pros and cons” thread right now on the UT board that is somewhat useful. (That board tends to get fairly contentious, and a lot of the posters are cocky kids with little life experience, much less UT experience. So you have to take it all with a grain. But there are some nuggets in that thread that are valid considerations.)</p>
<p>Like most big publics, I think the most significant downside of UT is the class size/teaching at the intro course level. Once you get past that, I think the academics are solid to exemplar, and the extracurricular opportunities related to both your academic and non-academic passions are endless. Friendly, fun student body. Prominent Greek presence, but statistically outweighed by non-Greek, and of course, sports and school spirit are big…all things that I think are present to the same/similar degree in Wolverine life!</p>
<p>And, of course, I’m biased, but the weather and culture can’t be beat!</p>
<p>Thanks for all of your responses. I should have added that you guys don’t need to sell me on Austin, as I am a 1982 alum. Sorry, should have mentioned that. While I had a great experience and love that place, I am trying to be impartial. And the truth is, I’ve never stepped foot in the state of Michigan, though it seems that kids from daughter’s school that have gone to both UT and UM have ALL loved their choices. Its crazy…not a negative word about either place, though I can’t help but suspect that they are very different places, but having never been to UM, I don’t really know specifically how they are different. And if daughter likes both equally and asks me to be the tiebreaker -that would stink - am I doing her a disservice by not pushing UM, the slightly “more prestigious” choice? Like I said in original post, I hope that a choice is obvious to her after visiting both. Thanks again to all who replied!</p>
<p>Hoosierfirend, I bet your daughter will have a clear favorite, since the schools sound as if they’re very different. Let us know how it goes!</p>
<p>mam1959 - Thanks for your comments! I will pass them on to my son. He is used to running in frigid, icy conditions, but not the heat as much. Last summer, though, he did run a couple of times in 95-degree temps, and it didn’t bother him at all. Such a strange boy, lol. He says he prefers running in the heat. He’s also used to two-a-days - in the fall, his team would meet at 6:30 am to run before school. 6 am is awfully early for college kids, though! He knows it would be a stretch to run for Texas, but the coach is encouraging him. He said they like getting kids from the northeast, because they are typically undertrained and have a lot of potential. We’re definitely not putting all our eggs in one basket. He’s writing a lot of coaches right now.</p>
<p>As the parent, I would avoid casting the “tiebreaking” vote at all costs. I think it should be the student’s decision, unless it carries financial implications that are unacceptable to the parents. You don’t want to decide for her and have her regret it, and possibly resent your decision, later.</p>
<p>I’ve spent some time at both places. I think they’re both great, and if my D were making that choice I’d let her go with her gut. Michigan has a marginal edge on prestige but not enough to worry about, and in my opinion “prestige” is wildly overrated anyway. There are some other differences you might consider, however. Michigan has a better student/faculty ratio (15:1 at Michigan, 18:1 at Texas), consequently more small classes (45% of classes < 20 students at Michigan, 35% at Texas) and fewer big ones (18% of classes >50 students at Michigan, 23% at Texas). Both are big schools but Texas is much bigger, with 37,459 undergrads to Michigan’s 26,083—and Michigan’s central campus actually feels quite a bit smaller and more intimate because there’s a separate medical campus in another part of town and a separate North Campus, primarily engineering, art & architecture, and music. Austin is also a bigger city, Ann Arbor more of a classic college town. Michigan also has a higher 6-year graduation rate (88%, to 78% for Texas). Academically, both have a lot of top-ranking departments and programs, but Michigan definitely has more in the top 10 or top 25 in their discipline and is strong in almost every conceivable area, while I would characterize Texas as strong in most fields but just a bit spottier, with fewer programs in the top 10. So I’d say if it were my D, my advice might depend on what kinds of things she might be interested in studying. For engineering Michigan has a clear edge, though Texas is also very strong. For undergrad business, Michigan is outstanding but Texas is very close. Michigan has a clear edge in most of the social sciences and in biological sciences, Texas has an edge in the physical sciences. In the humanities it’s mixed; both have some outstanding programs. But again, both are great schools, and I don’t think either would be the “wrong” decision.</p>
<p>Well said bclintonk. I think you are giving good advise about staying out of the tie breaking business. I imagine (hope) that after she visits Austin this weekend, that one choice or the other will be obvious and that will be that… Thanks for responding.</p>
<p>Well, like I suspected… D loved Texas AND Michigan. IMO she gives slight edge to Texas on lifestyle (weather, quality of life) but I also am guessing that as an undecided major who has no idea what grad school she’ll pursue, she is worried that UM is more prestigious and would open more doors. Me? I’m following bclintonk’s excellent advise and staying out of the tiebreaking business! Any thoughts on her concerns would be most appreciated.</p>
<p>She’s in the enviable position of being unable to make a wrong choice. I’m sure the decision is going to drive her crackers, but there’s no bad outcome.</p>
<p>We’d love to have her here at Michigan…but I’m sure the UT folks would say something similar! :)</p>
<p>In the spirit of full disclosure I’ll start by saying I live in Ann Arbor. That said, in a couple of years I’m hoping my son has the luxury of choosing between UM or UT. Austin is a great city and though I haven’t spent any real time on campus there it seems like a great environment.</p>
<p>Both schools are big, though there’s something about UM that masks it’s size. After having lived here for 7 years I still can tell where campus begins and ends, as a result the entire city feels like a college town.</p>
<p>Generally speaking Austin will win on weather, though when I was down there last spring it seemed like everyone had their air conditioners set to stun.</p>
<p>School sports/spirit is great at both, though UT is ahead in football…for now. I’m pretty sure though that UMichigan hockey fans outdo Texas’.</p>
<p>Maybe Michigan has some prestige edge but it’s minimal. It’s a great problem to have, good luck.</p>
<p>Hoosierfriend, did you happen to get a “realtime” status on UT housing during your visit? I am wondering whether they really will be able to get every student on campus this year. </p>
<p>It is tough staying out of the decision-making process. We’re right there with you.</p>
<p>My understanding is that last year Texas was eventually able to fit every freshman who wanted to be on campus into an on-campus dorm room (some started out the year in study lounges, aka “supplemental housing”) but I know the crunch may be greater for this year’s freshman class. Texas has the unusual advantage of multiple nice private dorms around the edges of campus - off campus living but a lot like being on campus, with cafeterias and R.A.'s like an on campus dorm would have. Also, at Texas, students often apply for housing before they are accepted to try to get into their “first choice” dorm.</p>
<p>Has your daughter considered the vast differences in culture? Isn’t there a preponderance of country music, cowboy boots, line dancing, frats and sorority life, and Bush supporting politics at UT? Ann Arbor is much more liberal, historically politically left, with a more multi-cultural bent–there are some frats and sororities, but an art crowd, urban and international groups, great world-class visiting symphonies, ballets, influence the activities available outside the classroom.</p>
<p>Thanks, MidwestMom. I never heard about the “supplemental housing” implemented last year! UT’s my DD’s “backup” if her top favs don’t look so good after she completes admitted student visits (don’t misinterpret my usage of “backup,” we’re alums and think UT is fab for many kids, she just has other good choices that might be a better fit for her). But, of course, she didn’t pay the $50 for housing when she did her app. So I’m just sweating a little on the off chance she ends up being a Longhorn. We are local, but all agree she needs to be in a dorm, and I’m biased in favor of on-campus options because that’s where I lived. I know there are some good private dorms, but I’m afraid the ones we’d want her to live in will also be full!</p>
<p>^^^ LOL! Yep, Austin is far, far right, and all of Texas is as flat as a pancake! (I kept telling myself that two days ago as I tried to run in my parents’ neighborhood - it about killed me - much hillier than my neighborhood in Maine).</p>