<p>I was recently admitted as a transfer student and I am coming from a small LAC with 5,000 undergraduate students. I know U of M is very big and very different. I will be a junior. I also know that most upperclassmen do not live on campus. Why is that? How can I find community at U of M and is it worth transferring as a junior?</p>
<p>At any college / university, most upperclassmen do not want to live on campus. At some point sharing a tiny room with bunk beds is not attractive. </p>
<p>I’m sure that life as a transfer student will be whatever you make it. If you are outgoing, friendly and active it should be fine. Either way, the main reason to transfer is to have the degree from U of M.</p>
<p>is a U of M degree that good. I got into Emory as well, but not sure how I feel about the south. The only thing I like better about Emory is that it is smaller.</p>
<p>“On campus” usually means in a dorm, and as sundaypunch says, you will not find many juniors or seniors in a dorm at any college. Most upperclassmen at Michigan live in apartments, share houses, or live in fraternities/sororities, but the way that the University is blended right into the town means that living in any of these options feels like you are living “on campus.” You will definitely feel like you are a part of the University.</p>
<p>“is a U of M degree that good. I got into Emory as well, but not sure how I feel about the south. The only thing I like better about Emory is that it is smaller.”</p>
<p>Emory will elicit local credibility; Michigan will elicit national and international credibility. Smaller may sound better because it may feel more like highschool, and somehow less socially intimidating, but the reverse is probably true…remember the line from Gatsby about large parties being more intimate? Michigan has something like 1,200 student clubs which make the place smaller; dorm/frat life makes it smaller; doing research through URPO makes it smaller; the friends you make you’ll keep in touch with for the next 30 years. </p>
<p>Conversely, the large/huge aspect of Michigan is pure benefit: state of the art facilities – which are undergoing constant upgrades and renovations – and tons of them; one of the largest academic libraries in the world; a global alumni base with significant representation in many major cities globally; great study spaces; a computer network which is second to none; a faculty which is among the most heavily cited/published in the world. The only downside is that the size of the campus (conjoined with parking constraints) may make it difficult to get from point A to B.</p>
<p>Whether you are at Emory or Michigan, the dynamics of social networks suggest that you’ll make 5-10 friends and have 50 people in your extended network…irrespective of the size of the school. If you “go big” you’ll also learn about navigating through a large social organism, which comes in handy if you end up at Fortune 100 or 500 type firms during your career.</p>
<p>thanks for the replies this information is helpful. I like the Gatsby comparison!</p>
<p>I think I am going to go to U of M I just hope I do not feel so alone. Any other recommendations for when I get on campus/what to expect?</p>
<p>You have over 17,000 threads in this forum. Your best bet is to do a quick run through 100 or so pages and find the topics that interest you.</p>
<p>"Emory will elicit local credibility; Michigan will elicit national and international credibility. " - Not sure about using this argument seeing Emory is actually ranked higher than Michigan by USN&WR. Both are great institutions, but just saying. Emory is nationally recognized.</p>