Both are obviously great schools. Cornell and Michigan have a lot in common. Large engineering programs, nice college towns, attractive, large campus environments. Both are elite without being elitist. Cornell is the NYS land grant college, and has a large NY/NJ enrollment. about half the students at Michigan are in state although there is a large east coast and Calif demographic as well. Cornell is more selective, if that matters to you. Michigan is more “fun” if that matters. The game day experience/school spirit at Michigan is the one area Cornell cannot match. As other posters have noted, the Michigan campus is in the heart of Ann Arbor, whereas Cornell is on a hill above Ithaca, so there is less of a connection for undergraduate students. You really can’t make a bad choice.