<p>Sure, if you ask Americans “what is the best college in America,” the largest number will mention Harvard, and others will mention the best college in their region, and others will mention the school they went to.
But I think if you asked people to “name several of the most prestigious colleges in America,” you’ll hear HYPSM, and the rest will be decimal dust. Well, some people will also mention the service academies. Places like Harvard are famous for being prestigious. That’s different from “good schools.”</p>
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<p>Yes. I KNOW this. No one is DOUBTING that in Asia, these things are Really Big Important Status Symbols. So what, though? Am I obligated to care or run my life that way or factor it into decision-making?</p>
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<p>In Asia, they don’t care either. New money is just as good as old money. In fact, if you’ve created rather than inherited your wealth, you’re more admired and respected.</p>
<p>It’s interesting that it’s all still about “what do other people think of me.” Like that’s the point of life - to impress other people.</p>
<p>It may not be the point of life, but it seems to be the point of this thread lol.</p>
<p>I would say U of M as it has very good programs in nearly every subject. But, it really comes down to which one you like better. It really doesn’t matter how presitigious the school is. I have a neighbor who attended Princeton, but she ended up hating it a lot. So I would recommend you visit the two before choosing the one you want to attend.</p>
<p>it seems like generally people seem them as the same or a slight advantage to Mich, especially considering grad school. I’m still waiting on a financial aid response from Mich so I can’t decide yet! After visiting both schools, I would say Michigan appears better than UNC and is more on the ivy level but what do I know.</p>
<p>Mich average SAT 1400
UNC average SAT 1295</p>
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<p>Michigan SAT range ('08-'09): 1220-1430
UNC SAT range (2008): 1210-1400</p>
<p>There isn’t that much of a difference. The 1295 number you cited for UNC was only the average in-state SAT score.</p>
<p>DukeDevil, Michigan’s average SAT is 1330, not 1400. I think 1400 is the average SAT for admitted students, which is always higher than the average SAT of enrolled students. UNC’s average SAT is 1310. When it comes to SAT averages, the two schools are even.</p>
<p>hawkette,
I really would like to trust your words. Believe me; I want to take your words as facts. I really do. But I can’t. You know why I can’t? More than 2,000 scholars surveyed every year ALWAYS contract your statements. You are not talking to a kid, hawkette. So, please, be serious. </p>
<p>Now, the OP asks which between Michigan and UNC is more prestigious in general. He did not ask, which between Michigan and UNC is more prestigious for UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION. If that’s what he wanted to ask, he wouldn’t be mentioning law school, business school, med school or engineering. But it seems that you did not get that, hawkette. How come? Because if you have, you won’t keep turning back your argument to undergraduate, and stuff like college experience and those other nonsense stuff. Read your posts on this thread again, and you can see for yourself that none of them really answers the OP’s question.</p>
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<p>He asked about both-hence the “also” preceding his question about graduate school.</p>
<p>^ Correct; that’s why I said, “in general”. And I kept saying that all the time.</p>
<p>So, this is how it goes for academic prestige and brand power between UMich and UNC:</p>
<p>undergrad - almost even (some even think UNC has got an edge)
professional education - Michigan with a wide lead
post grad - Michigan by a mile.</p>
<p>hippo2718,
I can honestly say that - as a whole and in general - Berkeley has already beat out 2 ivies in the general prestige race. I think that - as a whole - Berkeley is ahead of Brown and Dartmouth. Whether that’s largely due to Berkeley’s top-ranked grad education is beside the point. The point is, as a whole, Berkeley’s brand power is already more respected than either Brown or Dartmouth. This may not be entirely true for undergraduate education as viewed in America, that’s why I said - as a whole.</p>
<p>I don’t really see how SAT scores are relevant, because the question was which is more prestigious, not which is harder to get in to. That being said, I don’t really think you can compare the two anyways because most Michigan applicants take the ACT.</p>
<p>^ exactly, and the average folks out there don’t care about the SAT avg. of a school anyways</p>
<p>Only 36 percent of applicants to Michigan submit SAT scores.
80 percent submit ACT scores.</p>
<p>Class of 2013:
ACT Middle 50%: 27 - 31 = 1210-1380
Median 1295</p>
<p>On the other hand, 96 percent of applicants to UNC submit SAT scores.
Class of 2013:
Critical Reading Middle 50%: 590 - 700
Math Middle 50%: 620 - 710
Median 1310</p>
<p>Negligible difference. But to parade Michigan’s SAT median around is inappropriate, especially when only 36 percent of applicants submit SAT scores.</p>
<p>Michigan is more well known at least on the KC side of Missouri.</p>
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<p>Well, you’d be wrong, of course. Here in Chicago, it would be Kellogg by a mile. And anyway, you’re asking the wrong question as to “which school to pick.” Here in the US, we select people, not institutions. We’re impressed by how people present themselves in interview situations. Yes, the institutions may serve as screening mechanisms to some extent, but the moment you extend your hand to someone and shake it, what diploma you have falls away and you’re judged on your merits at that point.</p>
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<p>You “think” that because you have a wife who went to Berkeley and so you want badly to believe that the country bows down to Berkeley. Who are you kidding?<br>
Do you not understand that prestige is regional? That Californians are always horrified to hear that the rest of the country doesn’t really think all that much about UCLA (beyond sports) or Berkeley (beyond some old hippie stuff years ago)? That midwesterners are horrified to hear that the rest of the country doesn’t really think all that much about Michigan other than it’s a decent school? That southerners are surprised to know that in other parts of the country, any Big Ten school is more known than UNC? It doesn’t make those schools BAD. All of the schools we are talking about are fine quality. But the opinions of man-on-the-street mean nothing. They react to big-time sports, and the regions that they live and work in.</p>
<p>I believe that the prior school is more preferable.</p>