Anonymous wrote:Madison's a small city and state capital, in a uniquely beautiful lakeside setting; Ann Arbor is a very large and dynamic college town. Madison is a little colder in the winter; Ann Arbor gets a little more rain and snow in the winter, while Madison gets a little more rain in the summer. Ann Arbor is closer to (much larger) metro Detroit than Madison is to Milwaukee. Ann Arbor is also reasonably close (25 miles) to DTW which is one of the 20 biggest hub airports in the US; air connections to Madison are tougher - Madison/Dane is a small airport, and MKE isn't very big either and is 85 miles away.

Presumably saying this will unleash more insults from our unhinged Ann Arbor basher, but the fact is the two towns aren't so dramatically different that it should play a major factor (relative to issues like specific academic programs, projected cost, etc) in choosing one university or the other. Or to look at it another way: the gap between the two cities probably isn't as great as the gap between the perceived reputations of the two universities, notwithstanding Wisconsin's excellence.

It's funny: I don't disagree with any of your descriptions, but I think the difference between Madison and Ann Arbor is meaningful (which obviously can cut either way, depending on your personal preferences) whereas any gap between the University of Michigan and the University of Wisconsin is much more perception than reality.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:and the first college town cited by AARP. Guess they didn't get the memo that no one would retire there.

https://www.aarp.org/retirement/planning-for-retirement/info-2016/ten-ideal-college-towns-for-retirement-photo.html#slide1

Those articles are usually written by some 25 year old clueless journalism major who has no idea what they are talking about. Unless you love snowmobiling, ice fishing, and binge watching Duck Dynasty, you will probably not like living in Michigan year round. OK place for students? Probably, but depends on the student. I lived there for over 10 years and it's just a miserable place, full of small town types. A lot of people go to college with friends from high school and most people never leave the state. As another poster noted, it is insular, insular to the extreme.

The writer of the article you were referencing was Anne Field:


https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-field-9000575/

https://annefieldonline.com/


I’m guessing Anne is closing in on 60. I’d say the only clueless one here is you. Spouting off nonsense as is it were fact and so easily
refuted. If you ever did live in Michigan for ten years, you obviously never became a part of any community. Then again with your attitude, I’m sure most people avoided you like the plague.

“Or to look at it another way: the gap between the two cities probably isn't as great as the gap between the perceived reputations of the two universities, notwithstanding Wisconsin's excellence.”

That is exactly the point! The most important factor of all.

Anonymous wrote:and the first college town cited by AARP. Guess they didn't get the memo that no one would retire there.

https://www.aarp.org/retirement/planning-for-retirement/info-2016/ten-ideal-college-towns-for-retirement-photo.html#slide1

Those articles are usually written by some 25 year old clueless journalism major who has no idea what they are talking about. Unless you love snowmobiling, ice fishing, and binge watching Duck Dynasty, you will probably not like living in Michigan year round. OK place for students? Probably, but depends on the student. I lived there for over 10 years and it's just a miserable place, full of small town types. A lot of people go to college with friends from high school and most people never leave the state. As another poster noted, it is insular, insular to the extreme.

Lots of pressure on drugs, binge drinking, sexual promiscuity, and worshipping athletes. Nobel laureates aren’t campus Gods, coaches and sports brutes are, if you catch my drift.

Madison's a small city and state capital, in a uniquely beautiful lakeside setting; Ann Arbor is a very large and dynamic college town. Madison is a little colder in the winter; Ann Arbor gets a little more rain and snow in the winter, while Madison gets a little more rain in the summer. Ann Arbor is closer to (much larger) metro Detroit than Madison is to Milwaukee. Ann Arbor is also reasonably close (25 miles) to DTW which is one of the 20 biggest hub airports in the US; air connections to Madison are tougher - Madison/Dane is a small airport, and MKE isn't very big either and is 85 miles away.

Presumably saying this will unleash more insults from our unhinged Ann Arbor basher, but the fact is the two towns aren't so dramatically different that it should play a major factor (relative to issues like specific academic programs, projected cost, etc) in choosing one university or the other. Or to look at it another way: the gap between the two cities probably isn't as great as the gap between the perceived reputations of the two universities, notwithstanding Wisconsin's excellence.

Thanks for posting. We are considering UofM too.

Kid could likely get accepted into other top ranked schools, possibly better ranked than UofM, but UofM would be free to them.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know at Wisconsin, seniors are able to audit classes for free, so it is a great place to retire and have a lot of enrichment, with all of the theater, music and arts associated with the University and Madison.

I suspect many big college towns are similar in that respect.

Madison is on a large inland lake. Ann Arbor is in the middle is a flat state, no lakes, surrounded by maga country.

Thanks for your idiotic analysis. The Huron River runs along the edge of campus. The area has some hills, since the River causes a valley. There are smaller lakes within a few miles of campus. Ann Arbor is a very liberal town located in a pretty liberal county. Madison is more than twice as large as Ann Arbor and is in the state capital. They both have their pluses, but the minuses aren’t large enough to make a difference on where to attend.

You have never been to UW or Madison, clearly.

Anonymous wrote:Is Ann Arbor nicer than Madison?

Subjective. I personally prefer Madison, but acknowledge that UM is a "better" school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know at Wisconsin, seniors are able to audit classes for free, so it is a great place to retire and have a lot of enrichment, with all of the theater, music and arts associated with the University and Madison.

I suspect many big college towns are similar in that respect.

Madison is on a large inland lake. Ann Arbor is in the middle is a flat state, no lakes, surrounded by maga country.

Thanks for your idiotic analysis. The Huron River runs along the edge of campus. The area has some hills, since the River causes a valley. There are smaller lakes within a few miles of campus. Ann Arbor is a very liberal town located in a pretty liberal county. Madison is more than twice as large as Ann Arbor and is in the state capital. They both have their pluses, but the minuses aren’t large enough to make a difference on where to attend.

You’ve never been to Madison. You’ve never been to USC.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know at Wisconsin, seniors are able to audit classes for free, so it is a great place to retire and have a lot of enrichment, with all of the theater, music and arts associated with the University and Madison.

I suspect many big college towns are similar in that respect.

Madison is on a large inland lake. Ann Arbor is in the middle is a flat state, no lakes, surrounded by maga country.

Thanks for your idiotic analysis. The Huron River runs along the edge of campus. The area has some hills, since the River causes a valley. There are smaller lakes within a few miles of campus. Ann Arbor is a very liberal town located in a pretty liberal county. Madison is more than twice as large as Ann Arbor and is in the state capital. They both have their pluses, but the minuses aren’t large enough to make a difference on where to attend.

Anonymous wrote:I know at Wisconsin, seniors are able to audit classes for free, so it is a great place to retire and have a lot of enrichment, with all of the theater, music and arts associated with the University and Madison.

I suspect many big college towns are similar in that respect.

Madison is on a large inland lake. Ann Arbor is in the middle is a flat state, no lakes, surrounded by maga country.

Is Ann Arbor nicer than Madison?

Yes it does. In from NY. Went to NYU. Visited a close friend at Michigan junior year and always said if I’d gone or two years earlier I would have wanted to transfer. Great academics, great culture, great college town, great sports. It’s the full package. But impossible to get into these days.

I know at Wisconsin, seniors are able to audit classes for free, so it is a great place to retire and have a lot of enrichment, with all of the theater, music and arts associated with the University and Madison.

I suspect many big college towns are similar in that respect.