My daughter is having a hard time deciding between LA honors at UT and U Mich. what are the pros and cons of both? Any suggestions to help her narrow it down?
Both are great universities. Are you in-state for any of them?
Are finances equal between them? Are finances a factor for you?
What is her major?
How far away are each from home? Is that a factor?
Weather is very different between them. Does she care about weather?
Unless you are instate for one, I’d go with personal preference. I know people who love both schools. However, before choosing it would be worthwhile to find out exactly what the honors program at UT gives (honors programs vary) to see if that would make a material difference to her college experience.
Weather is better at UT, food is likely better (TexMex!!), I’m guessing more housing options and likely cheaper at UT, and I’m guessing once again, UT OOS < UM OOS. Alumni networks are also something to consider. If the student is thinking about professional school, I would seriously think about the likely grade inflation/deflation too (friend’s kid went to UM for premed, and basically martyred himself to get a respectable med school friendly GPA…). If LA you mean Liberal Arts, good question, consider academic rankings too.
But things like attendance costs, getting in and out, difference from current environment… It’s not like Ann Arbor and Austin are not top college towns. I’ve spent decades in the Midwest, been to AA more times than I can remember, it’s a cool place, but Texas, that’s a different story.
Overall, a good problem to have 
Both are great schools and it would not go wrong with either one. The weather, the campus, and the landscape of the vicinity are very different between the two though. Neither one has pleasant temperature for a significant period of time every year. Obviously, one would need to look at the cost and the specific program too.
Unfortunately no. I went to U of M but dont want to cloud her judgement. We are from NY and people are obsessed w Mich but UT was amazing and i know the honors program is a good one. Its a good prob to have but still a problem
Yes i agree. I went to u of m so its nostalgic to me but Austin was amazing too
UT is slightly cheaper and seems to have more of a chance for scholarships. We are from northeast so i feel like mich might have more job opportunities around here but most likely she will go to grad school
She wants poli sci/gov. Mich is excellent in it. Texas also good but in state capital for internships. Pros and cons to both
Wouldn’t she also be a candidate for michigan honors?
Why would you want to spend OOS money to attend either school?
She didnt apply for Mich honors.
And our in state schools have no sports. She wants tbe rah rah too
UT hasn’t done anything noteworthy in sports in the recent past and they have gotten worse after replacing the football coach. I think Jim Harbaugh will take Michigan to greater heights.
Is LA honors different from Plan II honors?
^^^ Yes, it is.
Here’s the thing tho. If you believe the accursed rankings, UM ranks pretty highly in PolSci (grad tho) so if money is no object and you can stand MI weather, you should be all set. My friend’s kid did PolSci at UM, got an internship with Congress, and never made anything out of it afterwards (working a generic job). But they were instate…
I would have her look at the Poli Sci departments at each and see which program most closely aligns with her interests. There are many subfields - domestic, international, comparative. Some are more quantitatively driven, others more qualitative.
Flying in and out of TX in the winter is probably easier than MI. 
@Amybwb My daughter also was accepted at both and is going to UT. Austin is filled with opportunity particularly for yours’ interests and although there are a lot of NY girls at UT not as many as UM which she felt would be “more of the same”… If you know what I mean!
I go to UT, OOS, who gained residency. if you cant get instate I would spend the tuition money elsewhere, on a good private-- Vandy, Tulane, USC schools like that, they cost similar money to OOS tuition at both UT and Mich. If money is not an issue and you want to live in the South UT all the way. If you want to live anywhere else Michigan has more cred. As far as honor programs, I have yet to see what the big deal is and I’m in my third year of honors at UT. Maybe a little more touchy-feely but certainly not more rigorous. So personally I would not even let that play into my decision. As an employer I would never let a degree with honors play into my hiring decision based on what I have experienced in a honors program. Just my 2 cents.
@2017girl how did you gain residency?? You can on me if you’d prefer
The honors degree is not the point per se; the smaller class sizes and having a prof rather than a TA are important. @2017girl 's assessment is right on the money. My DD2 has applied to a few hoity-toity privates for PoliSci (prelaw intention) but the really good privates are more difficult to get in than UM or UT.
Ultimately it boils down to what’s the plan after 4 years. If the kid wants to go to law school vs MBA vs look for a PoliSci job, these all require different things.