<p>What engineering major does Umich have that Texas doesn’t?</p>
<p>ThisIsMichigan… Naval Architecture/Marine Engineering.</p>
<p>That is pretty obscure. Sounds like he should stay near the coast.</p>
<p>I came in thinking Nuclear I switched, things happen. He should close the door on great schools because they don’t have exactly what he thinks he wants at the moment.</p>
<p>ThisIsMichigan… there are several excellent schools that have NA/ME (UMich being one of them). He’s got some other great options, and it’s not as obscure as it sounds. Job prospects for NA/ME are showing a 17% growth over the next 10 years, with a median salary of $80,000 per year. Pretty much every school we have visited has been very clear that basically 100% of their NA/ME graduates walk out with a job in hand, unless they choose to pursue a higher degree.</p>
<p>@granipc, that major does narrow down the field quite a bit, and it may not be a good idea to go to places that are too specialized in case he changes his mind. UMich would have been perfect 
I assume TAMU and VTech are also on his list even though they only offer “Ocean Engineering”?</p>
<p>By the way, thanks for the wonderful report! We are in a similar situation. S did get a small scholarship ($10K/yr) from UMich but the price is still too high. He is leaning GaTech at the moment. We’ll probably visit Ann Arbor in mid-April but I have a feeling he won’t like that North Campus thing either.</p>
<p>@granipc. Thanks for your comprehensive and entertaining review of Campus Day! My daughter and I also attended the event last week and found it very helpful in learning more about U of M. She didn’t know what to expect but post-event her feelings were positive too. She’s waiting for RD outcomes from a number of other schools in the next two weeks, but the Campus Day visit definitely increased the likelihood that she might choose U of M at the end of the day. </p>
<p>I do have to stand up for the friendliness of MidWesterners, though. As NorthEasterners, I have to say the people we met in Ann Arbor were so welcoming that even my daughter commented on it. Our guide was friendly. The students seemed, well, normal. If they stopped to say hi to every touring group they’d probably never get to any class on time. It was cold, but then I guess we’re used to it here in the North East so it didn’t bother us. In fact, the next day we attended a campus visit @ Northwestern University where the snow squalls blowing in from Lake Michigan made Ann Arbor feel positively balmy!</p>
<p>Agree with your comments on the cost of college and lack of financial aid, but they apply to many, many other selective schools (both public out-of-state and private). That said, completely understand your decision which seems rational to me. Good luck to your son on his search.</p>
<p>A couple of you mentioned the cool housing guy… If he’s as good an ambassador for U of M as he sounds, I think it would be nice to try to find out his name & send a note of appreciation, cc’ed to his supervisor. I’ve never been to AA, but your comments made me think that he’d probably appreciate knowing that he has made an impression.</p>
<p>Good idea KSAMom, I will try to find out and do that… :)</p>
<p>It’s fun to get an out-of-towner’s perspective on the town I live in every day. I’m still chuckling about our hearty squirrels and now I’m craving some Zingerman’s. I was driving through downtown Ann Arbor on Saturday (yes, for my 2nd trip to the M-Den in as many days) and I thought to myself, “There is every sort of restaurant imaginable! Oooh, look… a cupcake shop!”.</p>
<p>Granipc, I hear you about being glad for the job prospects of engineering grads. There were two reasons I was crying all day on Friday. One was, “He was accepted! Homeschooling works! Take that, mother-in-law!” and the other was, “Oh, thank God, he’ll be gainfully employed!”.</p>
<p>Oh, and forgot to mention the parking… I kept reading that parking around the campus area was impossible. We had no trouble whatsoever! Most of the time we parked in that large parking garage (is it Maynard?) and paid, but it was not expensive at all. Pretty much EVERYTHING was reasonable walking distance from there…</p>
<p>^^^I agree granipc. Parking for visitors is not that difficult. Now if I were commuting everyday, that would be a different story.</p>
<p>A long long time ago I traveled to Ann Arbor from Houston with my mom for a winter weekend look at Michigan. No official Campus Day events so I’m not sure what we did other than walk around in the snow and take in the feel of Ann Arbor. I’m sure my mom made appointments with people but all I remember is how pretty the snow was and how cool the vibe was. I turned down Stanford, Rice, Smith and Texas A&M to be a full paying OOS Wolverine and never looked back. I was an engineer and did spend a fair amount of time commuting to classes on North Campus my soph - senior year but you could block them together and just go up there for part of the day.<br>
I’m just thankful now that I have an in-state student - finally getting a break!</p>
<p>Oh - and the housing guy is pretty famous on campus - he speaks at Orientation as well!</p>
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<p>If that money means anything to you, then yes, you’re right. Michigan is meant for Michigan students, and wealthy OOSers. If you’re not one of them it’s not a good decision to come. Sorry.</p>
<p>Well actually @Vladenschlutte by just about anyone’s standards we would be considered wealthy… never said we COULDN’T pay it, but just because we have it, doesn’t mean spending it on UMich is a smart choice. There are plenty who do and will, and that’s certainly their prerogative, we are just choosing to spend our money elsewhere.</p>
<p>If you problems with the school, do not go there. Michigan will be just fine without you.</p>
<p>Once you know you’re not going to a school it’s probably time to leave their threads. Because then you get into a bunch of explanations and rationalizations that are just going to rile up the fan bases, especially for folks still sweating out whether they will even get admitted. The lingering suggests second thoughts or buyer’s remorse. Happened to me on a WUSTL thread.</p>
<p>Just a note on the OP’s son’s intended major. Michigan is widely regarded as the #1 programs in the nation in nation for Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering. One four other programs come close. Three of the four are academies (Naval, Coast Guard and Merchant Marine), and the fifth is Webb Institute in NY.</p>
<p>From a cost of attendance point of view, the academies and Webb grant 100% of their US students full tuition. Webb students only need pay room & board, books & supplies, transportation and other minor expenses. Altogether, Webb will cost $20k/year, compared to $55k/year at Michigan. So if admitted into any of the other 4 programs, cost of attendance becomes a real issue, as Michigan is the only one that would be expensive. </p>
<p>The main difference between Michigan and the others is academic versatility. At Michigan, you have many strong academic options, while in the others, particularly Webb, you have very limited academic options should you change your mind.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Yes, it’s cold. People walk to and from classes quickly. </p></li>
<li><p>That’s not just at UM’s campus. Squirrels are freakishly big at every college campus in Michigan. </p></li>
</ol>
<p>5&6- Well, yes… it’s a state school. It’s there to serve Michigan students, not OOS students. That’s the way it is with state schools, especially flagships. </p>
<p>With that said, I grew up 20 minutes from Ann Arbor and I still hate driving around there. It is just a pain. I’ve never had a good driving experience in AA. And yes, it’s cold. It’s really freaking cold. Welcome to Michigan. Our winter weather sucks (although this one kind of takes the cake). However, most people from AA are very welcoming. I much prefer it in the summer though :)</p>
<p>“With that said, I grew up 20 minutes from Ann Arbor and I still hate driving around there. It is just a pain. I’ve never had a good driving experience in AA.”</p>
<p>Exact opposite for me. I love driving around A2. Everytime I go to town I see something new. Even in the worst of economic times in the state, Ann Arbor was always building. If I want to drive around solemn empty looking streets, there are plenty of places to do that. When you get into town, you can just feel the activity and vitality of the area. To me, it’s very uplifting.</p>
<p>
IMHO, this is an extremely limiting degree for undergrad. I would encourage majoring in mechanical engineering. If his job pushes him to pursue a specialized discipline, he can always pursue an advanced degree…sometimes paid for by the employer.</p>