A note about being “lost” at a big school. My D went to a big school (not U of Mich but IU)…and as I have said many times over the years on this site…good luck getting lost in a music program. It is generally a small world in a big school. So the whole “lost between the cracks” concern generally does not happen as the music school is “demanding” your time and presence. My D wanted to get a lost…for maybe a week, a little break…but alas, there was always a faculty member requiring her presense daily.
STILL, the environment can be an “issue”. Large schools can have a lot of “energy”. For my D, this was envigorating. She wanted to be in a city but the finances did not work. So a large school did provide a lot of energy and outside opportunities to … I don’t know … try tailgating (done a couple times freshman yr to my surprise). She did enjoy the variety and energy.
Another issue is that students can be moving at different rates doing many different things. They did cause my D to worry initially. From what I’ve heard, smaller programs can bring a class along at more the same pace which can be “less distracting”. However I’m sure this is a generalization and all schools are probs a bit different.
I do like to make this clarification (of course it’s only my opinion). I just don’t believe in the “you’ll get lost”. However I do believe…that a large school comes with energy and variety that can feel envigorating to some and overwhelming/distracting to others. One isn’t necessarily better than the other. It’s all about where your kid will grow best.
Good luck on two excellent choices.