<p>I don't understand why so many OOS students elect to attend Michigan's undergraduate program. It's incredibly expensive, and there doesn't seem to be much exclusively gained by doing so. I say this because many of these students tend to come from states where educational institutions of similar or even higher caliber are available at cheaper cost and closer proximity. Of course, I do realize that money is mainly no object for most in this bunch. But that still doesn't change the fact that, from an economical standpoint, it's not very rational...</p>
<p>I can only answer based on our decision to send son to U of M from Colorado. Son will be a freshman this Fall. </p>
<p>There is not a university in Colorado of similar caliber to U of M. Colorado School of Mines is great for engineering, but our son is an English/humanities guy. Our son’s goal was to attend the best academic institution he was accepted to in the midwest/east. He did not want to stay in Colorado because he views college as the start of his adult life and he’s ready to experience the world elsewhere. He is undecided as to his major so he wanted to attend a school that is strong many areas. U of M is a top 15 or higher school in every area he’s considering - medicine, English, classics, philosophy and business. </p>
<p>After visiting U of M and seeing all it has to offer, he fell in love with it. He passed up large merit scholarships at some good schools (also out of state) and will take on some loans so he can attend U of M, but he believes it’s well worth it. Hopefully, he’s right. :)</p>
<p>I suspect that many students who go to Michigan from out of state aren’t really weighing it against their own state flagships. I suspect they’re weighing it against selective private universities such as Emory and Tufts. If you want, for example, both superior academics and big-time college sports, Emory and Tufts aren’t going to fit the bill.</p>
<p>It’s expensive but no more than a private school, and you’re really getting a private school caliber education at Michigan with all the big state school benefits.</p>
<p>For me, Michigan >>>>> Penn State, cost isn’t an issue, and I want to get away.</p>
<p>But to OP: name one state flagship that is superior to Michigan, name a top 15 school that is cheaper (UM’s 37k vs 42k), and some people don’t mind distance</p>
<p>You might as well pose this question to all OOS students at Cal and UVA too. Hell, every OOS student at a state school even.</p>
<p>Because it’s big and huge (which not all the states have) and has a strong brand name thanks to the Big 10 sports and decades of turning out solid graduates that settled all over the country and world. Because it has both technical and liberal with the engineering and nursing schools plus LSA for pre-pro. Because it has a business school opportunity. Because Ann Arbor is a fun place to go to school for four years. Because they have a father/mother or relative that went there. Because you can get a good undergrad education… Because the grass is always greener and many kids want to go “away from home” also known as the perception reality check. Because it’s been popular on the east coast for quite awhile…my dad graduated in the 40s and said even then there were quite a few New York/east coast people at UofM. Because the midwest has a long history of quality public education so if you want to come to the midwest for college, chances are great that you will be looking at the big public universities. There’s probably more, but those came to mind. As far as cost, yes it’s expensive for people from other states, but people have different inner values regarding cost/value/benefit. People almost always pay more to attend another state’s public institution, it’s the way the system works.</p>
<p>“I say this because many of these students tend to come from states where educational institutions of similar or even higher caliber are available at cheaper cost and closer proximity>”</p>
<p>Please start naming them…</p>
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<p>During the 40’s and 50’s many of the private colleges had admissions quotas that kept qualified applicants out. Michigan was more than happy to admit these students and the tradition of heading west to Michigan has continued with their children and grandchildren.</p>
<p>As stated above, cost is comparable to or a little bit less than peer institutions such as WashU, Northwestern, Cornell, Vanderbilt, Emory and Duke.</p>
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<p>Berkeley, UCSD, UIUC, Georgia Tech, UT. Others that I would consider to be “close enough” would be Penn State, Ohio State, Purdue, IU, Wisconsin, UCLA, UC-Boulder, UVA, Virginia Tech, UNC, plenty of others.</p>
<p>Michigan is a great school, and easier for California residents to get accepted into than it is for instaters to get into Cal. (particularly now that UC is accepting fewer instate residents.)</p>
<p>While some of the schools that Vladenschlutte are on the same level as Michigan, a large portion of students come from the northeast. There really is just never a desire to go to Rutgers, SUNY, or UMass.</p>
<p>“Berkeley, UCSD, UIUC, Georgia Tech, UT. Others that I would consider to be “close enough” would be Penn State, Ohio State, Purdue, IU, Wisconsin, UCLA, UC-Boulder, UVA, Virginia Tech, UNC, plenty of others.”</p>
<p>Oh sure, many public schools are about the same according to you. Please. PSU, OSU, Purdue, IU, UC-Boulder, Vtech are NOT on the same academic level as Michigan. Futhermore, most of Michigan’s true peers are not easy to get into from their own state. There are exceptions of course, but not “plenty of others.”</p>
<p>^^IMO, Michigan’s only true public peers are Cal, Viginia, and UCLA. And for OOS, Michigan is (significantly?) an easier admit.</p>
<p>For me, Michigan > Emory. </p>
<p>I’m from KS so not much in equivalent universities in my own state. </p>
<p>-Michigan has an incredible Alumni network, you can find Alumni everywhere. (example, this summer I am taking a class at a KS college, the professor graduated from Michigan)
-College Town life, the university and the town are very intertwined
-avalibilty of research opportunities
-Michigan is very well known throughout the country and the world as a great university.</p>
<p>Michigan’s public peers are: UVa, Cal, UCLA, NC and Texas (but only for the honors program). When D first starting thinking about schools 4 years ago, UM OOS was substantially more than the above listed schools. But by the time she applied to Mich; UVa, Cal and UCLA had all virtually caught up to UM. Thus, the only schools that are better bargains than UM are NC and UT honors (Plan 2). D did not like NC, so she did not apply there. Once she got into both Plan 2 and UM LSA honors, she would have needed to convince us that UM was worth about $8K/year more. But then she got a $10K merit scholarship from UM, so the cost difference between Plan 2 and LSA Honors was small. She struggled with the decision, but went to UM and has absolutely LOVED every minute of it.</p>
<p>I do agree, however, that if you are admitted instate at one of the above listed schools, it is difficult to justify the cost differential to go to UM.</p>
<p>Michigan’s only public peers are Cal, UVA, and UCLA, and out of those Michigan is probably slightly stronger than UVA and UCLA. OOS the costs of all of those are similar. Obviously in state at any of them will be much less. Ever since Michigan moved to the common app two years ago the acceptance rate has been plummeting, down to 36% this year from 51% just two years ago.</p>
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You forgot UNC-Chapel Hill which is the cheapest high-ranked public school in the country. At any rate, the OP’s question is silly. Why do OOS students go to schools like Boston College, Tufts, USC, NYU, UMiami, etc.? Just like Michigan, these are great alternatives for students who can’t get into an Ivy League school but are still looking for a first-rate education and belong to well off families. There are a lot of smart full-pay students and so they will scatter around the country to attend the best school they are admitted to and that they like, which in some cases is UMich.</p>
<p>“Why do OOS students go to schools like Boston College, Tufts, USC, NYU, UMiami, etc.? Just like Michigan, these are great alternatives for students who can’t get into an Ivy League school but are still looking for a first-rate education and belong to well off families.”</p>
<p>The same could be said for frustated instaters who didn’t qualify for top Ivy League schools and had to settle for other great alternatives. Why would they pay top dollar to attend a peer school like Northwestern or Duke? Then again if the peer school were cheaper/equivalent in price to Michigan, it would make some sense.</p>
<p>Chapel Hill maybe the least costly of the top publics, but it is the hardest to get into from OOS. For the vast majority of students, it ain’t worth an OOS app. (plus, only UVa meets full need of OOS.)</p>
<p>As always, Goldenboy is expressing his opinion, not fact. Duke and Northwestern offer no advantage over Michigan. Undergrads at Michigan enjoy similar academic opportunites and advising, graduate school and professional placement and research funding. A student will do just as well at Michigan as he would at Duke or Northwestern. Those two schools do not offer advantages that schools such as Harvard or Stanford offer. Only a handful of universities in the US truly provide superior opportunities to Michigan’s. Michigan’s peers for undergraduate education are Cal, Cornell, Northwestern and Penn. Schools Like Brown, Dartmouth, Duke, Johns Hopkins and UVa are just as good, but they are very different and therefore, cannot be easily compared. </p>
<p>Among public universities, Georgia Tech, Texas-Austin, UCLA, UCSD, UIUC, UNC-Chapel Hill, William & Mary, Washington and Wisconsin-Madison all come close, and at discounted in-state rates, make perfect sense for the majority of students going to college.</p>
<p>To answer the OP’s question, Michigan appeals to many OOS students for several reasons:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Without making to fine a point of of it, it is one of the very best and most prestigious universities, not just in the US but in the World. There are only a few universities that are better, and the vast majority of us will not be admitted into one of those universities for our undergraduate studies.</p></li>
<li><p>Michigan has a huge alumni network living outside of Michigan. Michigan’s alumni base is one of thr wealthiest and most loyal. Guess where those alums would rather send their kids?</p></li>
<li><p>Michigan appeals to many because it offers a peerless undergraduate experience, from one of the richest athletic traditions in Football and Hockey, to one of the most inellectual and culturally rich campus atmospheres, to one of the quaintest and most refined college towns you will find anywhere.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>For those who can afford it, Michigan is a very appealing option.</p>