<p>Deferred and TheCity, when it comes to reputation, both Michigan and Northwestern are highly respected. I agree that among high school students, Northwestern probably has a slightly better reputation primarily thanks to the USNWR. But once you hit academe and the corporate world, Michigan and Northwestern are both equally respected. If you look at graduate school placement and professional placement, Michigan and Northwestern are pretty even. </p>
<p>As for the likelyhood of a Michigan reject getting into Northwestern, you’d be surprised. I have known several students who were rejected by Michigan and were accepted into Northwestern. Obviously, there are more who are rejected by Northwestern who get into Michigan, but Michigan is not easy to get into. I agree that the average student at Michigan is not quite as academically gifted as the average student at Northwestern. But the top 75% of Michigan’s student body is as good as Northwestern’s student body. Itis unfortunate, but Michigan needs to enroll 5,500 students annually, and of those, roughly 1,000 do not belong. Most of those will end up graduating with 2.2 GPAs or drop out altogether, so the University is not doing any of them any favors. But the remaining 4,000+ students who enroll into Michigan annually are pretty much equal to any student body in the nation. So The City, there aren’t just “some” excellent students at Michigan. I would say 75% of Michigan students are very strong.</p>
<p>Finally, with regards to setting. Ann Arbor is actually more pleasant, unique and fun than Evanston. However, I agree that Chicago beats Detroit by a landslide. Actually, Chicago is my favorite city in North America. It is an awesome town with great people.</p>