Hi - My daughter just got the waitlist at UMichigan! She was not expecting this and needs to make a decision quickly. Can you share the biggest pros and cons based on experience.
Wouldn’t it matter what college she is comparing Michigan to? It would help others help you if you mentioned the comparison aspects like:
- Cost difference and how much it matters.
- Major or division admitted to at each and her possible or likely majors.
- What she considers important in a college.
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UM and Villanova (where I believe she is committed currently) are quite different. One should stand out as being the better fit.
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Thanks. Yes, my daughter had planned to attend Villanova. Very different schools. She looking for a good balance between rigorous academics and a good social life/strong school spirit. Size is an important consideration for her. She wants to have a good sense of community so originally focused on slightly smaller schools like Villanova. Financials will not be a factor. She is planning to major in psychology. She did not expect to come off the waitlist so we are back in processing mode again.
If you can afford it then Michigan. I mean easily afford it with no parent loans and mortaging the house or dipping into retirement savings. She will need at least a masters for psychology if staying in that field.
It’s a misnomer classes are large at Michigan. Sure the Chem class will be. My son’s classes were around 30-50 students most classes in 4 year’s in engineering. All professors knew his first name. I can go on and on but it’s the fit your daughter is after. Both schools she will have to self advocate. I am more then happy to answer questions and feel free to pm me as well. Good luck.
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If she is more comfortable with a mid-sized Cathoic school then Villanova seems to he a better fit. If she wants the big school environment then UM. No bad choices here.
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There are many ways to make Michigan smaller. There are limited ways to make Villanova bigger.
I was at a Michigan graduation a few years ago for a family member. Yes, the stadium is ginormous and so the massive ceremony is impersonal and vast.
But then at the individual degree program degree award- wow. Professors walking across the stage to hug specific students. Dean making the rounds at the post-graduation reception to talk to every single graduate and their families. Professors corralling students for a “Let’s take a photo of our senior seminar while you still have your gowns on”. And on and on.
So the university is huge, but depending on what a kid is majoring in, the experience can be “LAC-like”. And this graduate has gotten a TON of help from former professors in looking for a job, preparing grad school applications after a few years of working, etc.
I am a big Villanova fan. But for some kids it feels small/confined by senior year. YMMV.
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U Michigan’s pro is also the biggest con depending upon one’s perspective: size.
One thought might be Villanova for a BS or BA in psychology (Villanova offers both) followed by a graduate degree at U Michigan.
With approximately 6,700 undergraduate students, Villanova is large enough for one to continue with new experiences for 4 years.
Nevertheless, options are unparalleled at Big Ten Conference universities so it would be wise to do a thorough review of the options and opportunities at U Michigan–which, along with its size, can be overwhelming to some.
P.S. Based on your past posts, your daughter was accepted to , at least, TCU, U Miami, U Michigan, and Villanova. Interesting array of schools. Would love to know to which schools she applied as it should give readers a better understanding of her.
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This is a tough one. I attended neither, but I did attend a school similar to Michigan: the U of Wisconsin.
I had a blast. These were some of the things I cherished in my time at UW, which probably are similar at Michigan:
- Being a sports fan there, especially all the fun on game day.
- Great/challenging academics, but also – at least in survey-level courses (100 and 200 level) – the ability to be inconspicuous if I didn’t feel like contributing that particular day.
- The ability to venture off campus into a nice city without being afraid of getting swallowed up by an enormous, bustling urban jungle. I always felt safe.
- The social aspect – cool parties, cool people. We worked hard, and we played hard too.
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This short video and story of Dr. Sanjay Gupta of CNN fame was published about 4 days ago.
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I’ve known people who went to Michigan and loved it. I also know people who went and felt like they were treated as just a number, and felt somewhat isolated or out of place. I think in most such cases that gets better after the first year or two. But I do think there is a risk of that happening at any large public, particularly if you are not in an honors program, are looking at a popular major, and so on.
I guess my point is you said your daughter saw this as an important consideration, and I do not think she is wrong to think that way. That doesn’t mean she could not decide Michigan was overall the better fit for her. But if this was the reason she stuck with Villanova–which incidently also is a great match for the description “good balance between rigorous academics and a good social life/strong school spirit,” as is Michigan, each in their own ways–then I would view that as a rational, mature decision.
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My D26 and I visited Michigan last month and absolutely loved it. It will be one of her top choices. My D24 attends Villanova and I think it is a great fit for her. She does love school spirit. Villanova has a lot. Michigan has more. But I think she would have had a hard time at Michigan because she wanted a smaller-than-that-but-not-too-small environment AND because of the weather (I think you are west coast?). Philly can be cold, Ann Arbor can be brutally cold. My D26 doesn’t care at all about the weather. I think both are great options and it really comes down to where your child will feel more comfortable but she will undoubtedly succeed at either. Truly no bad choices. Congrats!
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My two kids just finished their first year at UMich and had an amazing time. Re: the size of the place, my kids went to a boarding school very much akin to a SLAC. After four years of that, they wanted the exact opposite vibe and found it at UMich.
One was in Honors in LSA, the other CS in CoE. One lived very centrally (South Quad), the other not so much (North Campus). Each found their people - one through a sports team, the other through dance groups. Both also made friends through academics (lab groups and the like). Both are living with friends off campus next year, happily so.
I adore Ann Arbor. One of the most legit fun, vibrant downtowns out there. And I say that as a NYer.
I agree with the many positive takes about UMich and Ann Arbor above.
That said, based on what you wrote, I think your DD would also fit well at Villanova. It’s smaller, but not small. Obviously has a ton of spirit surrounding sports especially. And, I mean, the pope went there, as did many current NY Knicks whom, I’d note, are up 3-1 on the Celtics (PLEASE DONT AGE LIKE MILK!)
No bad choices here. Good luck. Happy to chat on DM if helpful.
ETA: re the weather, our kids did of course find it quite cold at times, but they also report that kids generally don’t hibernate for the winter. That was an important consideration for my kids.
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I know nothing about Villanova, but I wanted to add a couple of notes on the concept of “hibernation” in the winter in A2.
First, at Michigan, Winter semester is UMich’s Greek rush and also when Winterfest takes place, where 1,600+ clubs also do their recruiting on campus.
Roughly about the same time as the “Polar Vortex” back in late January 2019, Michigan was hosting rival Ohio State in basketball game at Crisler Center. The low temp around that time was about -11 degrees or so. The game was attended by a sold out crowd.
One other anecdote. On one of our visits during the late football season, there was huge line outdoors to get ice cream at the Blank Slate Creamery (outstanding ice cream). It was cold, but people wanted their late night ice cream.
There’s definitely no hibernation going on in A2. 
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Important consideration if Villanova was a small school, but it has just under 7,000 undergraduate students plus some graduate students. Really nice size.
Reminds me of the OP’s former thread when the choices were Villanova versus the University of Miami.
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I literally wrote that it’s smaller, but not small.
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But you didn’t CAPITALIZE “SMALLER”
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The bulk or probably all of her LSA classes will be held on Central Campus. And that’s essentially just one large of block where she will be spending most of days moving from building to building across The Quad.
IMO, it’s not really that large of a campus. 
My other kid goes to Cal Poly SLO, now if you want to talk about large campuses? And it only goes uphill.
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Unless you get a dorm on the North Campus.
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That’s certainly a possibility, but Michigan should be opening up 1,300-ish new beds on Central this Fall.
Also, if it’s a North Campus placement, it would only be for one year. And anyway most dorm placement opportunities will be on Central Campus or The Hill.
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