UMich-AA and Columbia visit days

[reallywantcolumbia]

So I got invited to both sets of visit days but couldn't make it up to either. Now I am officially freaking out at the thought of having to make a decision and REALLY wish I could have actually seen the schools . In particular, I wish I'd had a chance to check out AA and get a feel for the town (I'm somewhat hesitant about moving to the rust belt) -- and I wish I'd had a chance to meet and talk to people at Columbia (and see if there is any truth in the rumors that grad students at columbia are a disaffected lot).

Would anyone have any thoughts on their own visits? In particular, I'm wondering if the department seemed to get along and if grad students seemed like a happy bunch.... But really, anything! Thoughts about location, resources, professors, administrative assistants, favorite coffee shop etc.

Please please please help!

[indecisive]

I have decided to go to Columbia. I have been concerned about graduate student disaffection. I don't go into it with the illusion of its imperfections (I am very cynical). If your decision is between Ann Arbor and Columbia, one issue may be funding. I didn't look at Michigan so am clueless about the situation there, but I am turning down four great public programs over funding. There is no place where graduate funding in the humanities is going to be "great" right now, but Columbia is relatively good about it in my book. This is key for why I chose it.

Some of the current students did in fact seem a bit unhappy. A recurring source of complaint was the university's bureaucracy (that said, they processed my travel reimbursement with startling rapidity). I would imagine that when you go into the program, you have the academic challenge (true everywhere) but also (if you are from outside NYC) the unique dilemma of having to figure out this immense and complicated city. It's an obvious point, but choosing to go to Columbia, or NYU, or CUNY, or New means choosing to live in New York City. The city and the university are inseparable. I hate those types who think that anywhere but NYC is somehow "beneath them". But the location does matter.

That said, I think it is a fantastic department and I really liked the faculty members I met.

[TMP]

I am currently a MA student at Michigan so feel free to ask any questions. I agree with indecisive (who, by the way, should change his/her username by now.. ) that really, funding and department fit should be the deciding factors. AA likes to think of itself as the Manhattan of the West (as U-M does of Harvard of the West) . I'm not saying that it's NYC here but in terms of quality of cultural arts, entertainment, music scene, and restaurants as well as... rent prices. Pretty close anyway. Unlike Columbia, you can actually live close to all what AA has to offer (If you're going to live near Columbia or in Brooklyn, it's a trip down to Manhattan!). Also the other advantage is if you are a big sports fan. Obviously at student prices as opposed to all the pro sports that are in NY metro area.

But downside is that the airport isn't that accessible when it's not break time so you'd have to make careful arrangements. And the 20-30 mph gusts.

Try to e-mail with the grad students and faculty. The atmosphere is really supportive and there's a lot of engagement between the faculty and the students.

[historynerd]

I am currently a MA student at Michigan so feel free to ask any questions. I agree with indecisive (who, by the way, should change his/her username by now.. ) that really, funding and department fit should be the deciding factors. AA likes to think of itself as the Manhattan of the West (as U-M does of Harvard of the West) . I'm not saying that it's NYC here but in terms of quality of cultural arts, entertainment, music scene, and restaurants as well as... rent prices. Pretty close anyway. Unlike Columbia, you can actually live close to all what AA has to offer (If you're going to live near Columbia or in Brooklyn, it's a trip down to Manhattan!). Also the other advantage is if you are a big sports fan. Obviously at student prices as opposed to all the pro sports that are in NY metro area.

But downside is that the airport isn't that accessible when it's not break time so you'd have to make careful arrangements. And the 20-30 mph gusts.

Try to e-mail with the grad students and faculty. The atmosphere is really supportive and there's a lot of engagement between the faculty and the students.

Um. Columbia is IN Manhattan, and parts of Brooklyn aren't that far away. If you're worried about convenience, Columbia is convenient to lower Manhattan - right near several subway lines, both express and local - and the Upper West Side is also really nice in its own right. And as for Brooklyn, the commute is NOT that bad. Sure, some parts of Brooklyn are far out, but not all. And Manhattan isn't the center of life in NYC anyway. Brooklyn has a lot of great stuff of its own, and you won't need to get to Manhattan for much, if anything, should you choose to live there.

[synthla]

Um. Columbia is IN Manhattan, and parts of Brooklyn aren't that far away. If you're worried about convenience, Columbia is convenient to lower Manhattan - right near several subway lines, both express and local - and the Upper West Side is also really nice in its own right. And as for Brooklyn, the commute is NOT that bad. Sure, some parts of Brooklyn are far out, but not all. And Manhattan isn't the center of life in NYC anyway. Brooklyn has a lot of great stuff of its own, and you won't need to get to Manhattan for much, if anything, should you choose to live there.

I also hear Brooklyn is great, though I lived in Manhattan for 4 years and found myself in Brooklyn twice. If you're only going to live in NYC for a few years and you can swing graduate housing at Columbia (which is what I did), I'd take it - living in NYC for a limited period of time and not living in Manhattan is like... well living in Los Angeles for a few years and never leaving East LA. Sure, it's got it's great points and it's really up and coming in places, but it's not exactly the LA experience most people imagine.

That said, I left NYC and will soon be leaving LA for... Bloomington. (The Ann Arbor of Indiana!)

[reallywantcolumbia]

Thanks guys -- I actually know Manhattan and Columbia really well. Never lived there for any extended period of time, but have had friends who lived in Columbia housing (along with the whole formerly I-banker crowd). I have little to no concerns about moving to NYC. In fact, it would probably be the single best reason to head to Columbia. I really love that city! And Columbia housing really is the only way to do it -- gotta love Morningside heights. The real question with Columbia is the department and its dynamics. The real question with Michigan is the city.

as for funding -- Mich and Columbia are practically equivalent (when you factor in COL). So that's really not much of an issue. Michigan might actually have more research funds.

indecisive -- what kind of administrative issues were students disgruntled about? Did you get any handle on how much access people had to faculty? Did the the grad student cohort seem to get along?

[misterpat]

The real question with Michigan is the city.

I bet that you will develop a place in your heart for Ann Arbor, if that's really what worries you.

[synthla]

I bet that you will develop a place in your heart for Ann Arbor, if that's really what worries you.

I have never encountered a more rabid group of alumni than Michigan people, and it doesn't seem to matter whether they'd even heard of Ann Arbor before attending. Not sure what they do there in terms of indoctrination but it works.