Does University of Michigan live up to the hype?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD (HS junior) is set on this school though she has never been. I know it’s a good school, but is it really all THAT?

It is expensive OOS. Can it really be all that different academically from other state schools? Is it hyped because of the sports?

When I ask her why she is so certain she shrugs her shoulders and says, “I don’t know. I just am.”

We don’t have any family members that go there, so not sure where she is getting it from. She said she mentioned it to the guidance counselor, not the other way around.

It is a good school, but except for a few programs, it's not worth paying OOS tuition compared to private schools and in-state options most kids have.

So you’re saying it’s worth it to pay high tuition to an inferior private school just because it’s private. Most privates universities are inferior to Michigan academically.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. U of M lives up to the hype. Yes. It. Does.

Uh no . There is no hype apart from what Michigan’s PR department puts out

Yeah, that and it’s 640,000 happy alumni. There is no perfect school anywhere, but Michigan is pretty darn special. Few schools offer the overall excellence/experience that Michigan provides.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:“ Not sure I would send my kid to a large OOS state school unless it was for a specific program the school was known for or a regional specialization - i.e. studying automotive engineering in Michigan, geology in Colorado, marine biology in Florida, etc. I grew up in Ohio and kids who didn’t go to the local state university often went to The OSU - but there were always a handful every year who went to Penn State. I never understood why they would pay OOS $$$.”

You grew up in Ohio. Their flagship is not on the same tier as Michigan. Neither is PSU or any other public B1G school currently. Academically Michigan undergrad is elite, despite what some naysayers will tell you here on DCUM. I can’t understand why anyone would pay OOS tuition for PSU if they were admitted to tOS either. That I can agree with.

Ugghh - a reminder of why the rest of the rest of the Big Ten hates Michigan. Northwestern ranks well above Michigan but somehow manages not to be arrogant about it.

Really? Not the Northwestern alums I've met.

Probably they are but Michigan grads / students are uniquely arrogant - like how do you get so high on being a clear #2 while showing no regard for other fine universities in the region like Wisconsin, Illinois etc.. The Skunks are an annoying bunch. You got to love the "Harvard of the Midwest".

+1 “Harvard of the Midwest” is one of the most obnoxious things I’ve heard alums say.

I know right? Everyone knows Harvard is the Michigan of the East!

Why did you activate an old thread?

And Alabama is apparently the Michigan of the south!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. U of M lives up to the hype. Yes. It. Does.

Uh no . There is no hype apart from what Michigan’s PR department puts out

Yeah, that and it’s 640,000 happy alumni. There is no perfect school anywhere, but Michigan is pretty darn special. Few schools offer the overall excellence/experience that Michigan provides.

Plus one

Also wherever you go - if you wear any kind of U Mich attire - you get a “Go Blue!” And big smiles …

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To be far, lots of kids say “I don’t know” to their parents to avoid lengthy conversations or debates. She may be articulating it better to her counselor.

The counselor can pay then

from all my years at DCUM, the best post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DD (HS junior) is set on this school though she has never been. I know it’s a good school, but is it really all THAT?

It is expensive OOS. Can it really be all that different academically from other state schools? Is it hyped because of the sports?

When I ask her why she is so certain she shrugs her shoulders and says, “I don’t know. I just am.”

We don’t have any family members that go there, so not sure where she is getting it from. She said she mentioned it to the guidance counselor, not the other way around.

It is a good school, but except for a few programs, it's not worth paying OOS tuition compared to private schools and in-state options most kids have.

Virtually every single department is top 10 nationally in its field. That means any undergrad can go there and find their way and have a respected degree. I went to a different state flagship for undergrad and it wasn't true then or now for my school. A few programs were top 10, but not all of them.

Add to it that sure, Duke has a great basketball experience and Alabama has a great football experience, but very few schools have the combination of top sports/school spirit AND academics.


Example, UCLA and Cal are fantastic schools. Neither have great game day football experiences that rival UM and school spirit is almost non-existent at Cal. What other big pubiics have the combination across the board?

Texas, maybe but it is VERY Texas, which under Governor Abbott is losing some of its stature. Wisconsin is probably the closest, but UW while rivaling in sports, is a shade under UM in academics, though I personally prefer Madison to Ann Arbor. UNC? Great in basketball culture, but beyond that, not as much school Spirit. UVA? Similar national ranking but the individual programs don't stand up one to one with Michigan.

It isn't for everyone, but for the right kid, it is a truly special place.

[Anonymous]

Is it uniquely worth it? Totally subjective. Great town, school spirit, as well as large and loyal alumni base. Depending on what classes you choose and effort you put into it, you can get as good an undergraduate education as anywhere (Harvard, Stanford, Duke, etc.) or an education similar to one you could get at 100s of other schools. One thing to consider is whether UM has a unique program/major they are interested in (as a large university it offers more diverse options). Alot of its academic prestige is based more on its graduate school, faculty research output, and professional schools -- which to be fair, is true for most highly ranked schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD (HS junior) is set on this school though she has never been. I know it’s a good school, but is it really all THAT?

It is expensive OOS. Can it really be all that different academically from other state schools? Is it hyped because of the sports?

When I ask her why she is so certain she shrugs her shoulders and says, “I don’t know. I just am.”

We don’t have any family members that go there, so not sure where she is getting it from. She said she mentioned it to the guidance counselor, not the other way around.

It is a good school, but except for a few programs, it's not worth paying OOS tuition compared to private schools and in-state options most kids have.

Virtually every single department is top 10 nationally in its field. That means any undergrad can go there and find their way and have a respected degree. I went to a different state flagship for undergrad and it wasn't true then or now for my school. A few programs were top 10, but not all of them.

Add to it that sure, Duke has a great basketball experience and Alabama has a great football experience, but very few schools have the combination of top sports/school spirit AND academics.


Example, UCLA and Cal are fantastic schools. Neither have great game day football experiences that rival UM and school spirit is almost non-existent at Cal. What other big pubiics have the combination across the board?

Texas, maybe but it is VERY Texas, which under Governor Abbott is losing some of its stature. Wisconsin is probably the closest, but UW while rivaling in sports, is a shade under UM in academics, though I personally prefer Madison to Ann Arbor. UNC? Great in basketball culture, but beyond that, not as much school Spirit. UVA? Similar national ranking but the individual programs don't stand up one to one with Michigan.

It isn't for everyone, but for the right kid, it is a truly special place.

Very false, maybe just not as much as U-M, UCLA, UT, Wisconsin, UNC, and UVA. Even then, Cal has a lot more school spirit than one would expect

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“ Not sure I would send my kid to a large OOS state school unless it was for a specific program the school was known for or a regional specialization - i.e. studying automotive engineering in Michigan, geology in Colorado, marine biology in Florida, etc. I grew up in Ohio and kids who didn’t go to the local state university often went to The OSU - but there were always a handful every year who went to Penn State. I never understood why they would pay OOS $$$.”

You grew up in Ohio. Their flagship is not on the same tier as Michigan. Neither is PSU or any other public B1G school currently. Academically Michigan undergrad is elite, despite what some naysayers will tell you here on DCUM. I can’t understand why anyone would pay OOS tuition for PSU if they were admitted to tOS either. That I can agree with.

Ugghh - a reminder of why the rest of the rest of the Big Ten hates Michigan. Northwestern ranks well above Michigan but somehow manages not to be arrogant about it.

I have a degree from Northwestern. Of course it’s more plush in many ways than a typical state flagship. And of course it’s not really $120,000 or $200,000 better than UMd College Park for most kids from families that would miss the money. And I suspect the same is true of Michigan. It is worth the money, but not for families that would really miss the money.

+10. A good post. A very good post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. U of M lives up to the hype. Yes. It. Does.

Uh no . There is no hype apart from what Michigan’s PR department puts out

Yeah, that and it’s 640,000 happy alumni. There is no perfect school anywhere, but Michigan is pretty darn special. Few schools offer the overall excellence/experience that Michigan provides.

Again, quality > quantity when it comes to alumni networks.

[Anonymous]

For the cost of UMich OOS you can send your kid to a private that will have guaranteed on-campus housing all four years.