UMich Vs UIUC.. for Mechanical ENG - Help!!

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Michigan
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<p>Hi,
I am really having a hard time in deciding between UMich Ann Arbor and UIUC. I got accepted by those two uni. Price wise, I am an international student, so tution fees between those 2 uni is not really an issue as they are almost the same (although Umich is about 5000$/year higher though). Is it worth it?</p>

<p>I also acknowledge that both schools have an almost equal mechanical engineering ranking, but which one has slightly more edge? Nationwide and worldwide image, prestige, future job connections with companies are ones that I really want to take notice about. </p>

<p>Actually I am also an automotive enthusiast and hope to work in R&D of automotive company after i graduate, so does Umich (Detroit) has slight the edge over UIUC (Chicago) in terms of job opportunities? </p>

<p>Does Umich has better connection with the car companies because it is nearer to Detroit? Or it is not really an issue as UIUC also a great engineering school?</p>

<p>Lastly, in terms of quality of life and place to study, which one is better, Ann Arbor or Urbana-Champaign?</p>

<p>PS: Does Detroit really a bad city? Because sometimes when I said that I want to go to Detroit because I want to work for car R&D department, people said "Really? Detroit?". </p>

<p>Thanks for replies guys!
Really appreciate it.</p>

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<p>Congratulations on having great choices. Since this is the Umich forum, it won’t surprise you that I am both biased and largely unfamiliar with UIUC except a general sense that it is an excellent school.
I do believe (perhaps due to my bias) that University of Michigan has a higher international profile, and that you could leverage your proximity to the auto industry by attending. I am also confident that as an international student, you will find a fairly robust and friendly community in Ann Arbor. Ann Arbor traditionally ranks as one of the best “college towns” to live in, and for great reasons.
So in general, I do not believe you can go wrong.</p>

<p>And yes, Detroit is a complex and troubled city, which has a dramatic contrast between the urban “decaying” center and the sprawling “suburban” communities. But it is what it is. That said, there is a lot to be said for the natural resources and economical cost of living in Michigan in general. But like most students at a top engineering program, attending school in Michigan does not necessarily mean that your future employment is in any way confined to Michigan/Detroit. On the contrary, our grads are sought everywhere. SO the Detroit/quality of life issue isn’t one you have to answer before making your decision about which program to attend ;)</p>

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<p>“Price wise, I am an international student, so tution fees between those 2 uni is not really an issue as they are almost the same (although Umich is about 5000$/year higher though). Is it worth it?”</p>

<p>Like you said, the cost is practically the same. Michigan will cost you $220k while UIUC will cost you $200k. Either way, it is going to be expensive.</p>

<p>“I also acknowledge that both schools have an almost equal mechanical engineering ranking, but which one has slightly more edge? Nationwide and worldwide image, prestige, future job connections with companies are ones that I really want to take notice about.”</p>

<p>Michigan and UIUC both have equally good Engineering programs, and that includes Mechanical Engineering. However, in terms of overall reputation, Michigan has a stronger image, both nationally and internationally. This may help open doors to certain industries, such as Consulting and/or Finance, but it should not make a difference when looking for Engineering jobs.</p>

<p>“Actually I am also an automotive enthusiast and hope to work in R&D of automotive company after i graduate, so does Umich (Detroit) has slight the edge over UIUC (Chicago) in terms of job opportunities?”</p>

<p>Obviously, when it comes to finding a job within the automotive industry, Michigan will have an edge over UIUC. </p>

<p>“Does Umich has better connection with the car companies because it is nearer to Detroit? Or it is not really an issue as UIUC also a great engineering school?”</p>

<p>It is obviously an issue. How can it not be? Proximity has an impact and Michigan is right in the middle of the action.</p>

<p>“Lastly, in terms of quality of life and place to study, which one is better, Ann Arbor or Urbana-Champaign?”</p>

<p>There is no comparison. Ann Arbor is a much nicer town than UC. Both universities have fun campuses, though Michigan is more pleasant, but when it comes to AA vs UC, it is not even close.</p>

<p>"PS: Does Detroit really a bad city? Because sometimes when I said that I want to go to Detroit because I want to work for car R&D department, people said “Really? Detroit?”.</p>

<p>Detroit is definitely not a great city to live in, but its suburbs are actually quite nice. However, Detroit is definitely a city on the move. In the next 5 years, I fully expect it to become a more liveable city. Besides, you can always commute. For 2 years, I worked at Ford HQ in Dearborn and lived in Ann Arbor. It is 40 minutes each way, but totally doable. Heck, Ford’s CEO also lived in Ann Arbor back in those days.</p>

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<p>@kmcmom13: Thank you kmcmom13 for the reply! </p>

<p>@Alexandre: Thank you Alexandre! Wow! What a coincidence that you have been working there. Do you know from which college that companies like Ford recruit their employees, especially the recent undergraduate students?
Well, yeah I have heard that U-C is in the middle of nowhere. So maybe Ann Arbor is better a better place to study. Right now maybe I am leaning to Umich more. Haha. But still not 100% Umich also… Well, actually my first priority in deciding between Umich or UIUC is the future and job prospects in automotive industries. Nice place or not is still my second priority. But I dont know, somehow I am still really hard to decide between those two… eventhough i am leaning to Umich right now. </p>

<p>Any other suggestions peeps?</p>

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<p>The University of Michigan has an significant edge over any university with respect to relationship and career opportunities in the automotive industry, especially the Big Three in Detroit.</p>

<p>The Big Three has a long history of investing/cooperating with U-M in R&D and hiring U-M engineering and business graduates. General Motors used to have classes for their engineers with remote live linked-up to U-M engineering courses. Google “General Motors” and “University of Michigan” and you will come up with more than a millions hits. Here are some for starters:</p>

<p>[Automotive</a> Research | Department of Mechanical Engineering | University of Michigan](<a href=“http://me.engin.umich.edu/research/automotive.shtml]Automotive”>http://me.engin.umich.edu/research/automotive.shtml)
[Michigan</a> Engineering | About Us](<a href=“http://www.engin.umich.edu/research/gminstitute/avm/]Michigan”>http://www.engin.umich.edu/research/gminstitute/avm/)
[General</a> Motors, University of Michigan collaborations continue to grow](<a href=“http://www.annarbor.com/business-review/general-motors-university-of-michigan-collaborations-continue-to-grow/]General”>General Motors, University of Michigan collaborations continue to grow)
[YouTube</a> - General Motors CEO Fritz Henderson: University of Michigan battery relationship important](<a href=“General Motors CEO Fritz Henderson: University of Michigan battery relationship important - YouTube”>General Motors CEO Fritz Henderson: University of Michigan battery relationship important - YouTube)
note: Fritz Henderson, CEO of General Motors, is a U-M graduate.</p>

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<p>For Automotive, Michigan is simply the best. Michigan’s engineering roots came out of the automotive industry and continues to flourish to due that historical connection. Students from all over the world come to Michigan for our mechanical engineering program. Our automotive research here is the best and we have a strong partnership with not only the big three as mentioned above, but world class defense contractors and international companies. Whatever you’d like to work/research on a vehicle component, we’ve done/are doing it here.</p>

<p>Also, we have the best Solar Car team and Formula SAE team that will get you hands-on experience working with cars in teams that work night and day on vehicular projects.</p>

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<p>When it comes to UofM and UIUC in terms of ‘job prospects in automotive industries’, I think the answer is that they are approximately equivalent. The fact is that you’ll get hired by one of the big three on how well you stand out compared to your peers + how well you network. You’ll hardly ever see the big three at our career fairs since they’d rather hire students they’ve seen and worked with through collaborative projects and professional networks, including research and student teams. I personally think UofM has an edge here due to all the collaboration, but when you consider the amount of people at UofM interested in the automotive industry, its hard to tell.</p>

<p>That said, competition at Michigan Mechanical Engineering is known to be harsher than that of UIUC in this field but at the same time you can find a lot more friends with similar interests.</p>

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<p>*Note that I’m a researcher at the Lay’s Automotive Laboratory so I’m pretty familiar with what goes on in this field.</p>

<p>[Main</a> Page - autolab](<a href=“http://webservices.itcs.umich.edu/mediawiki/autolab/index.php/Main_Page]Main”>http://webservices.itcs.umich.edu/mediawiki/autolab/index.php/Main_Page)</p>

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<p>

Correction: Fritz Henderson was CEO of GM for 10 months in 2009. This executive position has basically become a hot potato ever since Wagoner’s departure.</p>