UMich [full ride] vs Vanderbilt for MechE

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I just got off the Vanderbilt waitlist!!! I only have 3 days to commit.

I’m deciding between UMich (full ride) or Vanderbilt (100% need met).

Before I would’ve chose Vanderbilt without question, but after getting into UMich and literally spending 4 months researching their programs it’s truly a well rounded top school spirit school! This morning after doing research on Vanderbilt, the resources and closeness of this school also blew me away!

I’m planning to study MechE but tbh I’m also a very artsy person who loves design and innovation. So I really want a place where I am supported and given opportunities to begin my own startup.

I also love flexibility in courses (don’t want to only do technical physics, boring) and really love traveling (hence service learning trips and study abroad).

Now it really comes down to big or small (really don’t want to repeat the uncomfortable high school feeling of knowing everyone in the community and needing to act certain way), engineering program (really want flexibility and design), career in Ann Arbor or Nashville, and fit…!

Which school do you think I should chose? Considering tuition won’t be a big problem.

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Define full need met.

So you have the superior engineering school (Vandy not really seen as that strong) vs. a great name.

I tend to discard rank and obviously both are different - but if it’s full ride vs. $50K a year, it’s different than full ride vs. $20K.

And while Vandy meets need (to them), can you afford it?

You can study abroad at any school whether you go through their program or another. Engineering is not set up for it - but some schools are or you can go in Summer, etc.

A full ride to Michigan would be hard to pass up - most would choose Michigan in this case on the strength of their engineering program even if all was equal.

But a lot will depend on what Vandy will cost (full need met is murky) and can you afford it.

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Michigan’s graduate program for ME is ranked #5 along with 2 other schools. This suggests that Michigan’s undergrad ME major is strong.

Regardless, it is still a personal decision based on fit since finances are not an issue in your situation.

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First, huge congratulations - these are both amazing choices.

If you are looking for the better Engineering program, there is no question that UMich. Vanderbilt is an amazing college, but in ME, it isn’t in the same league as UMich.

That being said, reputation, rank, and rating are meaningless if you’re unhappy, and, if you’re looking for a job, generally any ABET accredited college will provide you a degree that is more than good enough for any engineering company in the world.

So Vanderbilt look like it will provide more of the non-academic activities and opportunities.

Your career will not be where you study, and engineering companies are lining up to recruit engineering interns and graduates from UMich. Top engineering companies are constantly holding job fairs at UMich, so distance from these companies is not a factor that should be a consideration.

There are more than 8,000 Engineering undergrads at Michigan, so you don’t have to worry about knowing everybody. However, while there are only around 1,500 engineering undergraduates at Vanderbilt, you don’t have to hang out just with engineers, there are over 7,000 undergraduates, and your social life doesn’t need to be limited to engineering. Moreover, there is also an entire city out there. It’s not like high school where you are limited to your school campus all day long.

However, as @tsbna44 asked - what is “full need met”, versus “full ride”? If UMich’s “full ride” assured, so long as you are doing well at your classes, or is it dependant on your family income? Is Vanderbilt’s “full-need met” also a full ride, or are you required to pay or work? What do either cover? Do either cover study abroad? These are also considerations.

Do you know these, and can you share them.

My advice is that if you are pretty certain that ME is the direction that you will go, and UMich provides the best financial packet, that is the one that you should choose. If there is no difference, or if Vanderbilt only has a slightly better financial packet, choose the one that you like th ebest. If Vanderbilt offers a clearly better financial offer, you should choose Vanderbilt.

If you are not certain that you will continue in engineering, Vanderbilt may be the better choice, providing that the financial packet that UMich offers isn’t clearly better.

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Both comes down to no tuition or very little. The thing I’m quite certain about is my career won’t be mechE, because my goal is to open a startup or go into product design. I don’t really like the deep techical aspect.

Better engineering program I’ve heard is based upon the research done there not really about better professors. But maybe there’s better curriculum flexibility…

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I would choose Michigan for even money as well.

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As long as both are comfortably affordable go with your personal preference. This is a case where two reasonable people could make two different choices. Congrats on the great options.

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It’s too hard to beat Michigan’s engineering school with an incredible balance of spirit and social life they have there. Go blue!

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If both are affordable, then take your pick. You can do research - and research is done everywhere!!

Two different environments.

Michigan will have more prominence but that doesn’t mean much…

btw - studies put the # of STEM folks working in STEM at about 25% - so you won’t be alone in not working as an engineer.

Good luck.

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Michigan, always Michigan.

Go Blue!

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I think you need to consider personal fit if prices are comparable. If you are artsy and do not plan to work in Engineering then why Umich? I think Vanderbilt is amazing school and Umich is way too big and overated. Do you prefer weather at Umich or TN?
Do you want huge college or medium size?

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If you dont want to work as a ME and want to add art your choice of major might not be the best. What’s your motivation? Or are you having cold feet?

UMichigan will offer you more Engineering and Engineering-related choices, especially if you want to move to Industrial Engineering - Vanderbilt has neither. Do they offer Design minors ?
If they take your AP credits you would have more elective credits for Art.

However you would find a different environment at Vanderbilt - a much smaller college of engineering, relatively smaller classes than at UMich. You can start as a ME major there and see what you would pivot to. However you would have less flexibility since they don’t take your AP credits.

You need to dig into the ME major at both - ABET doesn’t leave much space for flexibility so it’ll probably be quite similar at both, making it easy to find the differences and estimating if they make a difference.

Email Vanderbilt and tell them 3 days isn’t enough for such a decision and you need a few more days.

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Admissions is looking to fill spots quickly. The OP might “ask” for a few more days to decide (especially if trying to revisit campus) but I would not count on getting extra decision time from Vandy.

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I understand what Admissions wants but most give a week so ‘a few more days’ is not an unreasonable ask since the student needs time to decide.

@Ashley_12245 : Since you qualify for a full scholarship, did they fly you in to visit?
If they did, it should make things easier to envision.
If not, you can qualify your request by explaining you didn’t have the means to visit and weren’t part of the fly-in, so need a bit more time to explore the university virtually, compare majors, contact student clubs and professors, etc.

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Some schools give one day…it really depends. In any event, not worth debating. If the OP wants more time he/she can ask Vandy admissions and see if it is possible.

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While the latter phrase is true, note that “STEM” includes lots of other majors besides engineering. Many “STEM” majors are biology majors, who are probably more likely to end up working outside of their college major areas.

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I understand - it’s STEM - wide ranging - but the fact remains that most end up outside of the field they major and OP is planning to do the same.

My son had his second internship at the same company as the first - which was on a manufacturing floor. The second was outside, process oriented, and said was not engineering at all.

I asked why did they want an engineer then?

He said - they like how they think.

The point being - OP noted they want the degree but not the career - and I was simply noting they will not be alone - i.e. it’s not unusual.

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Where do you think you will be the happiest for the next four years? Go there.

Do you want to live in Nashville? Or Ann Arbor? Both are fine but for different reasons.

Would you enjoy big football games? If so…Michigan all the way. If you want probably the best “college town” in the country, go Michigan. Do you like snow? Go Michigan.

If you want a more city environment, go Vandy. They have decent basketball. No snow, or very little of it…go Vandy.

In other words…look at the things outside of the academics at these schools. The academics at both are fine.

I personally would choose Michigan…but that’s me, not you.

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best baseball in the country.

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