The University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Date: Dec 22 2004
Major: Economics (This Major's Salary over time)
The University of Michigan is a special university by all accounts. It is extremely strong accross all academic and professional disciplines and its reputation in academe and the corporate world is also very strong. The result is generally a great education followed by excellent employment and/or graduate school opportunities.

Michigan's Humanities, Social Sciences, Engineering and Business programs are all ranked well among the top 10 nationally. Even its pure Science programs, such as Biology, Computer Science, Math and Physics, are ranked in or around the top 10 nationally. For the driven undergraduate student, the possibilities are endless.

In 2003, from a class of 4,800 graduating students, close to 150 graduating seniors chose to enroll directly into the nation's top 10 Law Schools. Another 150 chose to enroll into the nation's top 10 medical schools. Hundreds more went to top 10 programs Engineering programs.

Employment figures were equally as impressive.

What makes the University of Michigan experience special is not simply a matter of good academics or good graduate/professional opportunities upon graduation. It is the town of Ann Arbor and the school spirit that is inspired by the great mix of lively campus life, great academics, dominating athletics and unmatched intellectual ambiance.

The town of Ann Arbor is unlike any I have ever seen, and I have lived in 8 countries on three continents and travelled to over 40 countries on 5 continents. Although small in terms of population, Ann Arbor has a very cosmopolitan feel. Roughly 10% of the city is international and another significant portion of the residents of the city come from every corner of the US. The city is home to several large Fortune 500 companies, such as Borders, Dominos, Pfizer Research, Toyota Design and a number od smaller high-tech companies. Many employees from large companies in the Detroit area, such as Ford Motor Company CEO, Bill Ford, also chose to live in Ann Arbor. The streets are quaint but lively. Little boutique style restaurants and shops are generally filled with patrons.

But Ann Arbor is not for everybody. Students who want individualized attention and campus-wide fame should not consider Michigan…nor should students who want the average Joes of the world to be impressed by their education.