<p>Okay, I'm really close to committing to UM now. Before I make my commitment, I just wanted to know what current/past students thought was the worst part of UM? Do any of you have any regrets about going to UM instead of going to Ivies or pseudo-Ivies? And please don't say your least favorite thing was the weather; I know it's going to be cold.
Thanks</p>
<p>Worst part of Michigan (in my experience): Average classes. They can move pretty slow and that's largely because the students aren't very fast so the profs have to teach at to the middle of the class. If you can take honors classes, take as many as possible because you'll probably get more out of them. Anything I regret about choosing Michigan over Ivies/Chicago, etc? Not a single thing, I wouldn't trade Michigan for any school in the country (or else I'd obviously transfer). There's just no place that compares. Period. Michigan offers just about anything you could want in a college experience.</p>
<p>I agree with chibears...I hate to say it, but a lot of really stupid folk go here, and there will be times in your discussion section when you'll just want to open the window and jump out of it. That being said, you'll personally get as much out of your education as you put into it. I didn't come to UM for the academics ( I came b/c they gave me money), so honestly the academics don't really mean a great deal to me. I enjoy my experience here b/c of my extra-curricular involvement (read student politics). Through that, I've come to see what UM is really all about.</p>
<p>Do I regret coming here...not so much no.</p>
<p>KB</p>
<p>It's not <em>that</em> cold.</p>
<p>So, like honors classes are better in these regards?<br>
Do you also see the "lower academic talent" as a chance to stand out? Also, are there class ranks at UM and competition for the top?</p>
<p>There's no class rank (because we're all the "leaders and best" :-) ), but you can graduate with honors (cum laude starts at 3.2 for engineering, and a bit above 3.5 for LS&A)</p>
<p>The biggest negative (in my eyes) about Michigan is the cost (especially to out-of-staters) and the lack of financial aid that they offer compared to Ivies (again, because it's a public university).</p>
<p>So, there's like no valedictorian and all that jazz at UM?</p>
<p>there's not really "competition for the top" because people don't give a **** about how smart you are. People don't talk about thier grade points or anything like that...except during finals time. I def. found that same ethos at dartmouth and washu...its not anything like high school in that regard.</p>
<p>KB</p>
<p>There isn't a valedictorian, but there are Angell scholars and stuff (recognized for x straight semesters with all A's, etc) recognized at the annual honors convocation. And with all the moments where I've felt like I'm the only smart one, there have been just as many times where I've felt like I'm the only one who doesn't get it (thank you, honors math sequence, for giving me that, lol). So, it just depends on how much you want to grow intellectually. I think there's something to be said for having a little bit of both: the classes that make you feel like a genius, and the ones that make you feel like an idiot.</p>
<p>I sent in my deposite 2 days ago.</p>
<p>I choose U Mich because of the latitude it offered me. I could have gone to CMU and would have done fine, but i felt like i would be missing out on the non-science half of college such as political science, anthropology, that type of stuff.</p>
<p>Plus the other thing you should think about is where YOU will do the best. Some people do better when they KNOW that they will be smarter than most of the people around them. Its not a snob thing its just they are motivated by that comfort. Other people are inspired by the people around them so the arent "scared" of going to the harvard where everyone is as smart or smarter than them.</p>
<p>At Michigan i am sure there will be a lot of smart people and a lot of average people. So you can come out ahead in terms of professors liking you (because you have something intelligent to say) and you will get to meet plenty of incredibly smart people.</p>
<p>I wasn't here for undergrad, but as grad student the worst thing about Michigan was the whacked combination of bureacracy and decentralization. Units at Michigan have a lot of autonomy, so things aren't necessarily consistent from office to office. And yet there are hoops to jump through and procedures to follow. It can be a drag when not everyone is on the same page.</p>
<p>Now, on the other hand, in some ways that can work in your favor, and it goes a long way towards making Michigan a strong place--units can make their own priorities and move in ways that are best for their school, their faculty, their students. But as a student it didn't always make sense. </p>
<p>It helps to have a sense of humor and perserverence. I came from a place where problems were easily solved and answers were consistent, so I was flummoxed my first few terms here when I ran into glitches. I would have been better off if I'd been a little prepared.</p>
<p>Anyway, from all this comes advice I have repeated here numerous times: At Michigan, if you don't like the answer to your question, ask another person, another office, another day. You might get something different.</p>
<p>people don't talk about their grades??? WHAA!!??? haha...maybe besides the premeds...pretty much everyone in the sciences can have like hours and hours of discussion over GPA's, grades in a certain class, what classes to take, getting into med school, MCATS, etc lol...ur in for some real competition (and fun) unless your grades dont really matter cause you just want a degree</p>
<p>do you know if people who aren't in honors can ever take honors classes? I didn't apply for the program you see. Oh... and you wouldnt happen to know the GPA necessary for transferring to another college, would you? (say form LSA to Art/Design?)</p>
<p>Does anyone know what % of undergrad classes are taught by graduate students? How good are they? One of the reasons I might choose UM is because they might have a higher quality of education than Syracuse U. But I don't think that will hold true if I get a bunch of TAs.</p>
<p>3% of classes are taught by graduate students. Most of those classes are 100 level Math, English and Foreign Language courses. </p>
<p>The rest of the times, graduate students only assist professors with leading discussion sections and sometimes with grading (especially in the case of multiple choice sections of exams). Michigan does not use graduate students more than other major research universities, so I wouldn't worry too much about it.</p>
<p>Thanks! Do you also happen to know how well UM is rated as an undergraduate institution? I've seen various things saying oh UM is within the top 10/20/25 universities... but I believe they were refering to graduate programs. Also, do you know how big classes usually are both for intro and upper division courses? Thank you!</p>
<p>Michigan's undergraduate education is definitely among the top 20 in the nation (among research universities). With the exception of Harvard, MIT, Princeton, Stanford and Yale, making it into the top 10 is always debatable and depends largely on personal preferences. However, many people feel that Michigan, given its incredible academic offerings and hard-to-match resources, is a top 10 undergraduate institution. </p>
<p>Those ratings above are separate from Michigan's graduate ratings. Michigan's graduate programs make it a top 5 university in the nation.</p>
<p>As for class sizes, they are usually huge (100-400 students) at the 100 level, large (50-100 students) at the 200 level and quite small (10-30 students) at the 300 and 400 levels.</p>
<p>Gracias! I still have questions left though...If you wouldn't mind answering them. :D (Oh please!)</p>
<p>Do you know what GPA is needed to transfer from LSA to Art/Design? If I majored in Spanish and Interior design, would I be able to stay in LSA/main campus/the Residential College Program? Do transfers from another school generally get more or less financial aid as they would as freshmen? Does the financial aid I recieved also go towards studying abroad? What do you have to say about the alumni network (+connections in general, with professors, or companies or whatever that could land me a job after college) at UM (besides that it's huge)? (Because I'm debating going to Syracuse U, where the alumni network wouldn't be so big but it's a lot more close knit. I'm not sure if tight-knit or huge is better. And besides, I don't really know if alumni network=job. ...I don't really knwo much about "networks" at all. :\ :o)
Are any dorms wireless? Can nonhonors students take honors classes? Are aerobics & salsa classes available? Are there any special scholarships that freshmen can qualify for in thier sophomore year? Do students sometimes make agreements right now, before they accept, with a financial aid officer about future aid/scholarships if they meet certain requirements? (I'm hoping i wont have to pay $21,000 again. :)</p>
<p>I'm sorry, I know that's a ton of questions, but you're my alternative to paying a ton of money to buy a ticket to michigan for next week to ask students questions and get a tour. :</p>
<p>Thank you very much!</p>
<p>I really recommend you make the trip to Michigan anyway. $1,000 is a drop in the bucket compared to the 10s of thousands of $$$ your undergraduate education is going to cost. </p>
<p>At any rate, here are some answers to your questions:</p>
<p>1) To transfer from LSA to Art and Design, GPA is not as important as demonstrated artistic ability. I'd say a 3.0 GPA would be sufficient to guarantee transfer if you are deemed artistically worthy.</p>
<p>2) Yes, you should be able to remain in the Residential College if you decide to add a second major such as Graphic Design.</p>
<p>3) Transfers usually get far less financial aid than Freshmen, but there are definitely many options for transfers. </p>
<p>4) Michigan's alumni network is one of the most fiercely loyal and influencial/successful in the nation. It rivals the alumni networks of the Ivies, Notre Dame, Duke, USC etc... And none of those have "close-knit alumni networks...save maybe Princeton and Darmhouth. Syracuse's alumni network is also decent, but not nearly as good as Michigan's. And given Syracuse's undergraduate population (12,000 I believe), I don't think it is possible for them to have an alumni network that is "a lot more close-knit"...no more so than Michigan anyway. Remember, no one person can ever really know more than 2 or 3 dozen people. You may recognize a few more by name and physical appearance. But even if you could really and truly know 100 of your fellow classmates, unless you college has fewer than 1,000 students per class, it is impossible to have a close-knit atmosphere.</p>
<p>5) I am not sure if all dorms are wireless. I'd say that they are, but I am not sure. You should ask current students like Chibears, KB and Reezes.</p>
<p>6) BAck in my day, non-honors students could sometimes take honors classes, but it wasn't common.</p>
<p>7) There are definitely many areobics/salsa/dance classes availlable at Michigan...just as Chibears and Reezes. They are Michigan's modern version of Fred and Ginger! LOL</p>
<p>In short, between Michigan and Syracuse, it's a no-brainer. You really should pick Michigan.</p>
<p>Oooops. Posted it twice. I think once is more than enough!</p>