<p>mrsopresident: I decided to test your theory. I emailed 5 of my friends who live in different countries (Ireland, Japan, Nigeria, Britain, and Russia), quite a diverse pool, and asked them which one they felt was more highly regarded: Michigan or Cornell. You may be surprised when I tell you that 3 chose UM over Cornell, 1 said they were equal, and 1 put Cornell over Michigan. Also, all 5 of those people are educated, successful adults, and 2 are university professors in their country.</p>