Is University of Michigan truly a good school for me?

@bookmom7 Michigan is on this list though: http://www.businessinsider.com/colleges-with-the-hardest-working-students-2015-12

:wink:

I hope this young man doesn’t get into Northwestern. Speaking for the NU community as a parent and alum, we don’t want someone filled with such hatred on our campus.

OP sorry to say this, but the only guys I know that make comments like that are either really religious or are the ones who don’t get laid and are really bitter about it. From your comment on the jocks, I’d think the latter is more likely. It’s a mean thing to say, and you come off as childishly jealous. Don’t judge UMich till you visit and sit on some classes and talk to some students in person.

Let’s see, you don’t want to go to a college that has “racist” frat boys, yet your comments about sorority girls are rabidly, offensively sexist. Let me tell you that the parents of young women going to college are worrying about their daughters ending up surrounded by intolerant students like you. And no, the fact that you are parroting your parents’ prejudices does not make it one iota better.

I have an uncle who went to Michigan for undergrad and grad school. He’s gotten the Fields Medal, the Wolf Prize, and the National Medal of Science. Too bad he didn’t go to a serious school like Cornell
he might have had a successful career.

“But when I was accepted, and I saw other peers who were strong students accepted, I noticed vapid, “popular” students who only are attracted to Michigan because of its “social” scene and campus “feel”.”

How do you know what attracted them to Michigan? Do you read their diaries?

@Chigginator28

Easy solution.

Don’t go to University of Michigan. Clearly, it’s not the school for you.

@elc2435

Now let’s think for just a minute what that is telling us. Is Facebook a random sampling of who goes to UM? No, you say? You think there is self-selection bias as to who decides to post these kinds of things? Well, there is your answer.

I have seen this with many other schools including some of the most prestigious and academically challenging privates. You would think Hugh Hefner was president of the university if you only judged by what was on Facebook.

You might be interested in the book Paying for the Party. It’s about Indiana University, but it explores some of the dynamics you say are a concern to you. It could help build perspective.

I agree that the OP is way out of line with his comments- BUT, it would be naive to deny that Greek life, for better or worse, dominates the freshmen social scene. Most freshmen do not have many upperclassmen connections coming in, and social life at Michigan undeniably heavily revolves around parties/nightclubs/bars. For freshmen, nightclubs/bars are difficult without fake ID (and even then, the bouncers do a suprisingly good job at catching fakes- some places have 18+ nights, however). So, they are left with the parties. Without many upperclassmen connections, house parties are tougher to attend. Therefore, fraternities serve as a major source for weekend night fun. If you do not like parties- do not worry, many people choose not to attend them. However, please do not pass negative judgement on people who decide to go to parties. I met some of my best friends during our welcome week shenanigans.

To draw conclusions off a FB-accepted-students site is silly. The point of such a page is for people to meet and have light conversations; discussions about Kierkegaard and Nietzsche are not going to break out spontaneously on such a page. Doesn’t mean the students don’t take academics seriously, I took academics extremely seriously and I also talked about clothes and makeup with my sorority sisters and cheered at football games.

“Over 90 percent of the girls who have posted in the group are planning to rush, which was surprising to me because only 25 percent of Michigan students participate in Greek life (according to Michigan’s stats).”

Disclaimer - I know nothing about Michigan Greek life.

But so? Maybe not all of them will. But they are open to considering something new, isn’t that better than the closed-minded person who decides upfront, without actually being on the campus, that Greek life isn’t for them? There’s no harm in trying it out, you can always drop out of rush if you don’t like it with no harm no foul, so frankly it doesn’t speak well to me that without information, someone decides unequivocally something isn’t for them.

Being from Maryland, you’re probably not aware of this, but - everything you said about UMich, I’ve head said about Northwestern. Big Greek presence, sports-oriented, lots of school spirit, lots of parties, big research university with plenty of graduate research and lots of grad students


It sounds like you’d actually be happier at a small liberal arts college. Those are mostly all undergrads.

Fwiw, i think you’d find kindred spirits - and plenty of them, actually - at UMich. State schools admit a variety of students, not just academically, but socially
 It’s a huge school, (with a great academic reputation, too) and not everyone, not even half, I’m sure, is into greek life or into sports.

You’re overthinking that part too much.

But I’ll suggest again, that if you truly value small class size, being with mostly undergraduates, having only professors teach your classes, and having a school focused on undergrads, with a minimal focus on sports programs, you might consider small liberal arts colleges.

Cornell’s co-founder, Andrew Dickson White, was a professor at the University of Michigan before co-founding Cornell and becoming its first president. White’s successor as president of Cornell was James Kendall Adams, a Michigan alumnus and professor.

At Northwestern, over 35% of undergraduate students are involved in Greek life. At Cornell, 30% of undergraduate students are involved in Greek life. At Michigan, 18% of undergraduate students are involved in Greek life.

As others have suggested, I am not so sure you will be happy at any of those three universities as they tend to attract intelligent, strong, ambitious and, most of all, tolerant/open minded young men and women who do not appreciate being judged based on their social life preferences/decisions.

You say you didn’t know these things about the school? Well you are right- you didn’t do your homework. But not in the way you think.

yikesyikesyikes, regarding your post #49, how is Michigan different from Cornell or Northwestern or any other university known for balanced academic and social life?

I went to Michigan for undergrad. I’m at Princeton now doing my grad studies. Let me just say that, the education quality and the intellectual environment that you will get at Michigan, will be as good as the ones that you get in Princeton. My Michigan training prepared me extremely well for my grad studies here at Princeton. Outside of academic concerns, relative to Pton, Michigan is far better in terms of infrastructure on campus.The kids here really don’t know what it means to have proper bus system, gym equipment, computer clusters etc -I was so so so frustrated when I came here because the facilities is nothing but a let down. Michigan is also far better in terms of range of clubs and activities that you can participate in, and the various kinds of people that you can find. There is strength in 45+k student population, and that is diversity of people. Pton’s diversity sucks big time.

There you go, a comparison of Michigan to an elite ivy league university. Knowing what I know now, I would still choose Michigan over Princeton for undergrad, anytime.

why on earth did you apply to a school you despise?

Re #56, what would it mean for Princeton to have a poor bus system?

As someone who plans to apply to Michigan next year, I sincerely hope you do not choose the school because I certainly do not want to be surrounded by even a single person who is as closed-minded as yourself. I know several VERY intelligent, successful people that are family friends who went to Michigan, and, believe it or not, participated in Greek life.

Also, blaming your parents for your beliefs that students who participate in Greek life (but had to have the same grades/scores OR BETTER than you to also get into the school) are slutty, stupid or even worthless is absolutely disgusting. You have free will, and you’re about to be an adult if you’re not already. You can make your own judgments at this age. As repugnant as I think you are, I would never even think to call you “worthless.” That comment alone shows how little respect you have for others, especially people you have never met.

Judging from your comment that states, “I am slightly introverted, but still sociable student who struggles to deal with popular kids,” it sounds like you had a difficult time with them in middle/high school and now you believe it’s your time to strike back by telling the whole internet how much better you are than them and that you’re too amazing to go to the same school. Get over yourself. They worked as hard, if not harder than you to get to this place.

Honestly, I plan to rush in college. Neither of my parents did, but they definitely don’t condemn those who chose to do something different than them. Instead, they told me to respect what other people choose to do and not judge people before I know anything about them.

Call your peers “slutty” and “worthless” all you want. But first, you might want to consider that a lot of these people had higher grades, test scores, and better ECs than you. You don’t know these people, and you’re making yourself look ignorant rather than the “academically minded student” you claim to be.