Why I Chose to Attend Michigan Engineering
The University of Michigan College of Engineering is ranked as the #6 overall Undergraduate Engineering Program and the #4 overall Graduate Engineering Program by U.S. News & World Report. All departments within CoE are ranked in the top 10 in their respective fields. But to me, and to everyone in the UM community, Michigan Engineering means more than just rankings. In this post, I will go into detail about why I chose to attend Michigan Engineering. I hope this information can help inform current high school students about how Michigan Engineering could be a great fit for them.
Disclaimer: This post reflects my personal opinions and knowledge based on my college search process and experience at Michigan, and is in no way officially sponsored by Michigan Engineering.
Who I Am
My name is Allie and I am originally from Atlanta, Georgia. I discovered that I wanted to study engineering in high school and had a specific interest in learning about computer science. During my college search, I visited other schools including Georgia Tech, MIT, Northwestern, Duke, Columbia, and Harvard. Now, I am a sophomore at the University of Michigan studying computer science in the College of Engineering.
School-Life Balance
The #1 factor that made me want to attend Michigan Engineering is the school-life balance that exists for students. Engineering is a very challenging and time-consuming degree, but at Michigan, students are able to excel in their Engineering studies while also being involved in extracurriculars and enjoying all that Michigan has to offer (sporting events, social events, etc.). Every Michigan Engineering student I know has the ability to do well in classes while also being involved and having fun. Michigan is a place where you will grow as a student, person, and leader. I truly believe Michigan is the best all-around college experience in the world and I am so grateful to be a Michigan Wolverine!
Engineering Academics
Michigan Engineering’s curriculum emphasizes learning by doing and collaboration. All first-year engineering students take Engineering 100, a course designed to simulate real-world engineering. In this course, you work in a team to build a product that applies your introductory technical and teamwork skills. Some sections of this course include autonomous drones, microprocessors for toys, windmills, video games for children with disabilities, and blimps (check out all sections here). All engineering majors also complete a senior capstone project with a team of students that is based on real-world problems in industry. These classes allow students to demonstrate their abilities in a tangible way that is very meaningful to employers. Our classes overall tend to include more application rather than theory. In these classes and many others, we work in teams to accomplish a goal. We do not have grading systems or procedures that pit students against each other in a competitive way. I have never seen or heard of students being cutthroat or unwilling to help their classmates succeed. The academic environment is challenging yet supportive. This was very important to me as I saw how other programs were more competitive and intense among students and knew that was not for me.
Student Life
Michigan has an incredibly diverse array of extracurriculars. I know engineers that want to expand their education outside of classes and are involved with STEM-related extracurriculars such as professional Greek life, engineering project teams, STEM volunteering efforts, and undergraduate research (we have the second-largest research budget in the country!). I also know many engineers that are involved with non-STEM organizations such as acapella groups, improv comedy, student government, social Greek life, Varsity and club sports, identity-based organizations, and so much more! You are not at all limited to engineering and can get involved all across Michigan’s campus! No matter what interests you may have, Michigan will give you the opportunity to explore your passions. Michigan truly encourages every student to be a leader and to grow personal, professional, and leadership skills. So far, I have enjoyed being involved with the Women in Science and Engineering Residence Program, Advocates for Diversity in Engineering, undergraduate research, and MUSKET.
School Spirit
Michigan’s school spirit is absolutely unparalleled. Students are grateful and excited to be at Michigan, our Alumni (the largest living Alumni base in the world!) are proud and quick to support current students, and our faculty/staff are some of the best in the fields. Michigan is truly a campus filled with people who love to be there, and that energy is incredible to be a part of. Athletic events (I have season tickets for football and basketball) are a huge part of the student experience and are a great time to hang out with friends and support Michigan. I have personally had amazing experiences with Michigan Alumni. After reaching out to Michigan Alumni at my summer internship, they were all excited to meet me and give me career guidance and support. I have also run into Michigan people all across the world and am always happy to hear a “Go Blue!” from across a crowded room.
Diversity of Disciplines
Attending a school that offered a wide area of disciplines was important to me because I wanted access to educational and extracurricular activities outside of engineering, such as business and theatre. Michigan Engineering offers 17 majors and allows you to take 3 full semesters to decide which major you want to declare. Additionally, Michigan has literally every major you can think of, and they are all top-ranked programs. Michigan Engineering allows you to easily add any minor from across UM onto your degree and encourages you to take classes beyond engineering in areas of interest. While at Michigan, I have taken classes in the Ross School of Business (ranked #3) and the School of Information to support my career goal of being a Product Manager. The opportunity to learn from these prestigious departments in addition to CoE has truly added incredible value to my education and experience. I have also enjoyed attending productions from the School of Music, Theatre & Dance. Theatre has always been one of my greatest passions and I am so grateful to have experienced many incredible performances at UM. Fun fact: the UM Musical Theatre department is the 2nd most represented program on Broadway! Incredible!
Ann Arbor
After visiting Ann Arbor, I completely understood why it is consistently rated as one of the top college towns in America. There is a clear separation between campus and the city of Ann Arbor, but the distance is still easily walkable. Ann Arbor is known for having some incredible food, shopping, and nightlife, and as a student, everything is available to you within short walking distance. I only have to walk 10 minutes from where I live on-campus to access the shopping and restaurants in the State St. area of Ann Arbor. The city is friendly, safe, exciting without being overwhelming, and has diverse activities to offer. Some of my favorite restaurants to frequent with friends and family include Frita Batidos, Sava’s, Palio, and Wilma’s. There are also too many Bubble Tea shops to count (but Chatime is the best). There is a huge variety of great late-night food joints and bars that add to the overall college experience.
WISE RP
The Women in Science and Engineering Residence Program (WISE RP) was a huge factor in me attending Michigan Engineering. WISE RP is one of the Michigan Learning Communities available to first-year students. The WISE RP supports first-year women at Michigan interested in studying STEM fields, and about half of the community are from the College of Engineering. I knew that studying STEM as a female would be challenging, so I was excited to discover that Michigan has many support systems and resources in place (such as WISE RP) to help women in STEM to thrive. As a freshman, I lived in the community at Mosher-Jordan Hall (MoJo) and benefited immensely from all that WISE RP has to offer. I even came back this year as a sophomore Peer Mentor and was able to give back the empowerment and support I received as a freshman. I also run WISE RP’s social media platforms (shameless plug) so check out our Facebook and Instagram! I highly encourage any incoming freshmen women to consider applying to WISE RP. I am incredibly grateful for this community and the impact it has had on my college career.
Thank you for reading this article. I hope this information was helpful for any high schoolers who are considering Michigan Engineering. I wish you the best of luck with your college process! Go Blue!
