Authors,University Of Michigan Ann Arbor, Should I Go There?

I'm posting this here because most of you take education seriously and have opinions. I also posted this in the education section.





Okay, I'm asking this Q because I have a high 3 gpa, ect, and the credentials to get in, plus I'm minority female and have two relatives who are alumni, and Michigan is open to legacy.



But the thing is, Michigan as a state kind of sucks right now. The weather is just awful-cold with snow (I live in the south), it's gray and dull there, foreclosures and poor job market and unusually high crime.



I grew up there and moved down here but most of my family still lives there.



I feel I have a 90% chance of getting in but do you think it's worth it because I'll have to live in Michigan? I know the school is recognized and that would help me a lot, but it's just....the state of Michigan:(((



What would you do if it were "you"? Thanks so much fore answering:)Authors,University Of Michigan Ann Arbor, Should I Go There?
I'm a Michigander. Yeah, it sucks here. I know. My dad recently lost his job. He graduated from U of M Ann Arbor, and knows firsthand how diverse and academically challenging the school is.

The weather is easy to get over, especially if you really want to go to U of M and you feel like it's the right place for you. This isn't medieval times; we don't worry about not making it through the winter. Gray and dull, yes, for 5 or 6 months.

Crime. . . if you have any street smarts and your parents told you not to talk to strangers, it's not as big of a problem as it seems! Where I live was pretty high on the national high crime rate list, too. Sure, it's not a comforting fact, but that doesn't mean that there aren't good neighborhoods to live in that are safer.

I don't have much to say about the housing market, cause I'm ignorant and know nothing about it other than it sucks.

I can't say much about the job market, either, other than the fact that i know how hard it is to be on a drastically reduced income.

Basically, if you think the school really is what you're looking for in terms of education, you should be able to overcome what you don't like about the state.Authors,University Of Michigan Ann Arbor, Should I Go There?
You didn't mention what your major would be, and if a diploma in that field from them would be more valuable than a diploma from another school. (EX: A law degree from Harvard is better than a law degree from Iowa.)



If you plan to be a writer, then a diploma from any college won't help you one way or another toward getting published. Your work is judged on its own merits by editors, not on where you went to school.



I am a few credits shy of a diploma in liberal arts from a famous engineering college (they have a lousy LA department), but that's never come up in my publishing career. I've sold 23 novels, and edited several collections.



BUT THAT ASIDE, I'd say don't let the fear of what-ifs put you off.



There are some very nice neighborhoods in Ann Arbor and the summers can be just as hot and muggy as the ones in the south.



Do a Google search of apartments in the area, read their reviews to make sure it's not a drug 'hood, and get on Google maps, as you can see what the streets look like at ground level.



I've lived up north, and it's no big thing. You wrap up warm and indulge in hot chocolate! (Yum!)



Travel is a great thing to widen your personal experience, and hey, they have Starbucks and McDonalds, same as any other town. Just stay sober, and be careful around those cute frat boys! ;%26gt;)Authors,University Of Michigan Ann Arbor, Should I Go There?
If you want to be great author, don't go to school for it. Live. Live a lot. Go place, do things, have adventures. Then pick up a copy of Elements of Style and, following it religiously, write about your life.



If you still MUST go to school for English, then let me tell you this: the weather of the place where the school is really ought to be the last thing on the list of things you're considering.



That being said, I certainly wouldn't go to Ann Arbor for English. It didn't even make the top 10 this year. You'd be much better off at Berkeley or Stanford.



Cheers.