<p>Hmm, as an Ann Arbor (A2 as we call it) resident, I know there are some social differences in the two colleges. Because Umich is a state school, and has such a large undergrad, you have a mugh larger range of people. Bluntly, Northwestern is probably filled with a higher concentration of motivated, smart people. Although, UMich definately does have some. That’s just something to keep in mind about the environment in which you would live at Umich v. Northwestern.</p>
<p>Umich v. northwestern:… hmm, huge difference in size, particularly in size of classes (you can look up stats on this)… at NU, everybody is equally highly qualified and motivated, at Umich, there are some really exceptional kids, and some who arent quite as much, but got in because they’re in-state (theres the same phenomenom at all large state schools, i know a lot of idiots who got into cal and UCLA in-state, and wouldn’t stand a chance at NU…NU definitely has better location, although ann arbor is great college town, so is evanston, and Umich doesn’t have chicago in its backyard… Nationally, they’re definitely both prestigious, but some (dumb) people think of Umich jsut as a football and basketball school, whereas NU is known solely for its academics… but then again, teh excitement of having a winning team on campus can be cool. (the NU wildcats have never made the NCAA tournament, ever)… uhmm, there are a whole lot of other reasons, but i would definitely pick NU, unless uMich is cheaper for whatever reason</p>
<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>
<p>yeah, thats what i was trying to say.</p>
<p>Not only does Chicago beat Detroit, but it’s somewhat difficult to GET to Detroit from A2. I mean, from Evanston, you have the El, but there isn’t any connector from A2 to Detroit. I would also agree that most of Umich’s kids are very smart, and very fun. Even those who got in because they are instate kids have worked hard. There are MANY instate kids who do not get in, therefore it is still selective for those who live in MI.</p>
<p>Big difference: people at NU really want to go to Chicago to go and have fun… many people at UMich never even go to Detroit because there is more than enough to do in Ann Arbor</p>