Agree. I am puzzled by its popularity here.

Michigan started becoming an "it" school after The Big Chill came out.

Anonymous wrote:Same idea applies to UCs.

Yes

My parents went to Michigan and loved it but even for them the sticker shock for OOS was too much, especially since Michigan offered me no financial aid. I ended up going to Northwestern for significantly less.

Michigan's alumni seem very dialed in and eager to help kids out. The school is in a nice area and associated with good grad schools. It has name recognition all over the country and isn't thought of as "just" a sports school in the same way that, say, Alabama is.

Could you get all that somewhere else? Yes probably. But I don't think it's overrated I just think it's well-known. Most of your kid's class is probably applying because it's huge so there's still a decent chance of getting in even though it's very popular.

/not an alum

Anonymous wrote:It seems like a good but giant public school for private school prices. I get that people want different types of options but the popularity boggles my mind. I think almost every kid in my DC"s class is applying. Why?

Don’t stress out. Make sure your child doesn’t apply. Your mind should be boggle free now.

Anonymous wrote:Agree. You get the same education at Indiana. Or Minnesota. Or Illinois.

I don't know. In my field, Michigan is not just another Big 10. The professors in the departments there are excellent and doing the top notch work and graduating the top notch PhD's as well. Wisconsin is a close second. Both schools have these same professors teach and advice undergrads. If my kids were interested in that subject and wanted to go to a huge school (and all the plusses and minuses that come with that) with big sports - it's a great choice. They'd get a great education and could either take it into the real world or be poised to run if they later chose to get a PhD, JD, or MBA. Can't speak for other disciplines. That said - I'm not sure either of my kids is that keen on the big school with big sports profile.

Anonymous wrote:It seems like a good but giant public school for private school prices. I get that people want different types of options but the popularity boggles my mind. I think almost every kid in my DC"s class is applying. Why?

Perhaps they’re more informed than you are?

Same idea applies to UCs.

Anonymous wrote:Absolutely overrated.
Many better options instead of a state school.

For OOS, yes.

Absolutely overrated.
Many better options instead of a state school.

Agree. It's a just Big 10 school. Whatever. A good school, certainly, but I'm not sure where it got its amazing reputation.

- another Big 10 grad

I think it carries prestige because the law school is very well regarded and Ann Arbor is considered a good college town. I am really not sure it's much deeper than that.

I think it is also strong in certain departments but that's true of any well-funded state flagship. There are specific programs at places like Indiana or UW that are especially desirable but they don't have the overall cache of michigan for some reason.

Agree. You get the same education at Indiana. Or Minnesota. Or Illinois.

It seems like a good but giant public school for private school prices. I get that people want different types of options but the popularity boggles my mind. I think almost every kid in my DC"s class is applying. Why?