Truly need help with decision

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Michigan
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<p>My son was accepted at Michigan in the EA round. He applied almost on a whim because he'd heard good things about it and basically needed a school in his "target" range. Now, he has been accepted at Michigan plus 3 schools we consider more like safeties (although all are solid academically), and he did not get into his two reaches (both top 20 schools). All of his other schools were in the 5000-9000 student range and all are in warm climates - both this size and warm weather were among his initial criteria for schools.</p>

<p>So, he is now down to Michigan and another school where he has a huge scholarship and a place in their fairly elite Honors College. He is so torn and so are we because Michigan is the "better" school in terms of reputation and ranking, but other than that, it has none of the features that really excite him about college: smaller classes, strong interaction with professors, warm weather, gorgeous dorms, newer/updated facilities overall, and a guaranteed spot in the business school (ranked in the top 30 nationally; not as good as Ross, but certainly strong).</p>

<p>Our visit to Michigan was in 17 degree weather with gray skies and snow. The campus did not excite him. The North campus truly depressed him - both its location and appearance. (The town of Ann Arbor he did like very much.) We are out-of-state so we will pay top dollar for him to attend (no scholarships; no chance for financial aid). </p>

<p>All of the above sounds very negative but people LOVE Michigan! People on this forum are DYING to get in here! Please tell us why. What are we missing besides incredible school spirit (also huge at the other school), a wonderful alumni base, and a great brand name? Day-to-day, why is it fun to go to Michigan? Do you think some of his criteria are not valid; that is, does it really not matter that the dorms are not great, the dining services are so-so, the campus is huge and often requires busing, the weather is crummy, the classes can be enormous and impersonal, etc?</p>

<p>One more thing: did any of you reluctantly choose Michigan and now you are sold? What won you over?</p>

<p>Help!</p>

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<p>it sounds like the only reason UMich is still “in the running” is due to ranking and prestige, not “fit”…</p>

<p>and while it doesn’t sound like money is an issue, is it really worth the incremental amount more for Umich than his other choices?..</p>

<p>others on CC will undoubtedly disagree with me…but given his original criteria, UMich does not fit the bill…</p>

<p>would be curious to what the other three schools are though…and if the geography and recruiting is going to be an issue going forward…that would honestly be my only concern…</p>

3

<p>If the weather bothered him the day he visited Michigan…it will bother him every day for 4 years. Not worth it…in my opinion. (I live in Michigan and it is cold and snowing right now. Uggh…it seems to never end.)</p>

<p>Pick one of the other schools that he really liked…he will do great wherever he goes.</p>

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<p>Would love to hear what the other schools are that he is considering - sounds like a perfect fit for my son.</p>

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<p>@ Rodney, you are exactly correct. But prestige and ranking are important to us to some degree. He did extremely well at a super-competitive high school and wants to feel it was worth it! I guess the scholarships and honors stuff at the other school do “validate” his hard work but it is hard to turn off that competitive switch and not choose the very best school he got into. We know the other school is the right answer in our hearts but we don’t know if he (and maybe a little bit, we) can pull the trigger and turn down a great school like Michigan (and always have to explain and rationalize about why he chose the other one). We just wanted to hear why people love Michigan in case we are missing something.</p>

<p>Sorry I am being vague about the other schools. His combination was unique enough that he might be identified and we don’t want that.</p>

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<p>Grew up in Michigan and graduated from U of M. Loved it! Was assigned to Bursley, the only dorm on North Campus, and absolutely LOVED it! You did have to take a bus from central campus to north campus, but that never bothered me one time. In fact, I very much liked the fact that I felt like I was “going home” and away from all the noise and hustle of the central campus. Had been there all day for classes, it was nice to go to the more beautiful, peaceful part of campus - and pass the arboretum, too. It was very prestigous to pass by the University Hospitals, and the music, art, and engineering schools. It was also right across from the rec center, which was great to work out at. Loved it!
Stayed in a house on central campus my Jr./Sr. years and loved that, too. Walked back and forth each day to the dental school, and was very proud to go through “downtown” with my M backpack on. Loved to window shop, too. Little different feel, but all part of Ann Arbor. Was engaged by this time, and fiance also enjoyed visiting and window shopping/eating out downtown.
But as far as your son goes, as a mom of a college-bound son also, it just doesn’t sound like the right fit at all. I don’t believe that you have to absolutely love the campus that you’ll be attending from first visit on, but you do have to like it and feel in your heart that it’s the right “fit”. Disregard the weather on that one day, but it does have to feel right, and it sounds like it doesn’t. M is very prestigous and I’m still very proud to display my M Alumni license plate holder, but it has to be right for him.</p>

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<p>From what you have provided, your son seems much more attracted to TCU. One would even get the impression that the only people who are “torn” about the decision are his parents.</p>

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<p>Why I chose Michigan?</p>

<p>Well, first of all I have to say it wasn’t my top school choice; instead, it was a backup plan by the time I was filling college applications.</p>

<p>What I always wanted to see in a college was students committing to their tasks. I was a hard working student in high school and I planned to keep up the whole effort in college. Though I was turned down by my top choices, I concluded that UMich offered me everything I needed to have the college career I was looking for. Some people may thing of the school’s pride as an ego keeper, but, in my opinion, it is just another way to reinforce students’ commitment to their purpose of making the best of their college experiences. And you know, it’s hard to lose the track when everyone around you has the same aspirations.</p>

<p>Still, I wouldn’t say that is something you could only find at Michigan. If your son is more motivated to go to the other school, it is also likely that he will make the most of what is offered to him there.</p>

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<p>Wow, Kittens, such a sleuth! TCU is indeed a school my son really liked but not one of his final choices. I have looked for info on that forum but have not posted anything on 3 of his schools’ sites, including the one he is considering and including his reaches. I have also posted on some boards of schools I attended and my other kids attend. </p>

<p>Sorry to disappoint you. Also, we parents are not torn at all. As stated quite clearly, we know the other school is the right choice and fit for him. He is being pressured by friends and Michigan alumni to choose that, and all the talk of prestige and brand name is getting to him. We actually want to find ways to support his choice of Michigan, if that is the direction he goes. Hence, I asked for people to tell me what they love about Michigan.</p>

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<p>Oh, and thanks to all who have provided helpful feedback. You are definitely confirming our ideas about fit, and I appreciate your sincere responses to me. Is there anyone else who can help with the other questions about why you love Michigan?</p>

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<p>I’ll give my two cents, as someone who chose Michigan over UVa, Berkeley, UCLA, and Harvard.</p>

<p>First of all, your son is going to college by himself. He isn’t bringing anyone else with him, so who gives a **** about what they think of the school he attends? If he’s happy, then that’s all that matters in my eyes.</p>

<p>I came from California (I’ll get into the weather aspect later) and most people questioned my decision to attend Michigan over Berkeley/Cal. In fact, some people assumed I didn’t get in to either of those two if I was choosing Michigan because high school seniors have no idea what schools are good or not, aside from what the (worthless) US News report tells them. Yet when I told my counselor, some of my teachers, and my family members, they were all incredibly proud and thought I was making a great decision. However, some people did question why I would pass up the opportunity to go to Harvard instead, but to me, prestige isn’t that important. I could understand them questioning why I would pass up Harvard to go to ITT Technical Institute or DeVry or whatever, but Michigan and Harvard, in my eyes are both exceptional schools and most kids would’ve died to be in my position.</p>

<p>Anyway, coming from so. Cal and living within walking distance of the beach, I was spoiled in terms of weather. People cry when it gets below 60 degrees, so needless to say I was in for a treat when it started getting cold. But I wouldn’t for a second let the weather deter me from going to a school, especially one like Michigan. I will say this though - the one (and only) thing about Michigan I don’t like is the weather. And yeah, it’s reeeallly ****ing cold but you get used to it, and this is coming from someone who wore shorts/t-shirts year-round for the first 18 years of his life. </p>

<p>Next point - how would the campus not excite him? I get excited even going to the library thinking about how many brilliant people have studied here before me. The Law School is breath-taking. I’m not sure on the validity of this, but I’ve heard a lot of people say that it was the 2nd choice of places to film Harry Potter, and even if this isn’t true, it gives credence to how amazing the facilities are. And then there’s the Business School which is absolutely amazing. Honestly one of the nicest buildings on campus. Sure, you have buildings like Dennison which make you resent going to class, but most of the facilities are actually quite nice.</p>

<p>I don’t think you can compare with school spirit at Michigan. The city literally stops everything on Saturdays to get ready for the football games and I think the fact that we pack the stadium with 110k+ fans every home game is a testament to how awesome our fans are. And it doesn’t stop there - our hockey team is unreal (in the Frozen Four, actually) and our basketball team isn’t too shabby either. School spirit is probably one of the most amazing things about the school, and I could try and put into words how awesome it is to go to any UM sporting event, but truly I couldn’t even begin to do it justice.</p>

<p>North Campus - it’s funny, I actually haven’t been up there once this whole year, and the only time I visited it was when I was looking at the school last March because my dad wanted to show me his old dorm (I didn’t care at all lol).</p>

<p>I can definitely sympathize with the OOS tuition though, it is pretty ridiculous.</p>

<p>And the one thing I found interesting about Michigan was when, during orientation, one of the leaders asked for how many people Michigan was their top choice, and only about 50% of the auditorium raised their hand. Yet you’d be hard-pressed to find one person who doesn’t absolutely love their time here.</p>

<p>I think Michigan, along with USC and Vanderbilt are a few of the schools who offer it all. Pretty great athletics and school spirit, awesome social life, amazing education, strong alumni bases and so you can’t go wrong.</p>

<p>So those are the reasons why I love Michigan.</p>

<p>HOWEVER, THAT SAID, based on your description, it sounds like your son wants to go to the other school, and I don’t think he should have to rationalize his college decision. If people are trying to convince him to go to Michigan because of its prestige, then they’re just ignorant. Michigan is a great school, yeah, and I absolutely love it, but I wouldn’t let its prestige alone drive me here. Hell, I chose Michigan over Harvard and I got a few questioning looks when I explained it, but there are so many other factors that go into deciding where you want to spend the next 4 years of your life that prestige really shouldn’t be the dealbreaker.</p>

<p>So yeah, I chose a school with lesser prestige I guess you could say, but I haven’t looked back once or said ‘what if?’ to myself at all. Good luck to your son, and I hope he makes a decision he (and you, too) is happy with.</p>

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<p>Sorry to all that this thread has been hijacked by someone with a lot of free time on his hands. No, you are not correct in all your assumptions and, honestly, I am shocked that my innocent request for some Michigan information has taken this turn. My son did not apply to Duke and has never been interested in it. I went to Duke and have offered my advice as an interviewer, as well as some general information, a few times on that forum. Furthermore, he applied to several other schools that do not appear in any of my posts; I should have more accurately stated that I have not posted on AT LEAST 3 of his schools’ sites. Thank goodness.</p>

<p>I will not be posting on CC again; this really freaks me out that people lurk on here in this way. All I wanted was some feedback about Michigan’s positives and instead I got this creepy search into my son’s application history.</p>

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<p>Thank you so much, thealbatross. Your post is so wonderful and helpful. You sound like an awesome person! Thanks also to everyone else who may post in the future.</p>

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<p>All he did was look at your recent posts. It’s not really that creepy.</p>

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<p>This my son’s situation in many ways. Down to Michigan vs Indiana. Michigan is clearly more prestigious. But IU is solid, and half the cost. Both OOS. Also DA into business school at IU, while Ross has a 46% admitance rate for rising sophmores. </p>

<p>Is the prestige worth the cost? and potential risk of not getting into Ross? I am thinking that maybe it is. It stays with you your entire life. And even if one doesn’t get into Ross, there are good marketable skills on other areas, right? </p>

<p>My son was a leader in a highly competitive high school and I think would thrive on the stong talent pool around him at Michigan. He is a little negative to the general population that goes to IU.</p>

<p>But IU has a lot to offer, and very serious students too. Just not across the board. This is a tough one… He is currently leaning to Michigan, after learning of his acceptance two weeks ago.</p>

<p>Any more Michigan insights would be appreciated.</p>

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<p>Can we bring this thread back to topic, or is it too far gone?</p>

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<p>Go Blue.</p>

<p>Go on, Michigan people.</p>