UMich SNRE 2014

[Etownenviro]

I didn't apply to Bren and the SNRE students day isn't till next weekend but I was under the impression that they are basically equal. I think SNRE is older so it's possible that it is more well known but their programs both seem well regarded and they even have joint info sessions

so I think either way your going to a top school!

It looks like they have different strengths such as oceans and coastal for Bren and Great Lakes and environmental justice for SNRE. So if you can do the same thing at Bren as SNRE go there! You won't regret it once it's winter and it's 0 in A2 and 70s and sunny in Santa Barbra!

[Etownenviro]

Is anyone planning on attending SNRE's admitted students day this weekend?

 

 

Also is anyone else curious about the employment differences that come with having an MS instead of an MPA/MBA/MEM? 

Thanks!! 

[adithedevil23]

Bump... Any feedback from the visit day for admitted students at SNRE?

[Etownenviro]

I attended the SNRE admitted students day and I was very impressed! 

 

First in the morning there was a welcome from the dean who seems great, very funny and easy to talk to. I got the impression she actually really knows the different students and as she has office hours roughly once a week that anyone can go to you really do have the opportunity to get to know her if this is an important factor for you. The rest of the day was spent in rotating break out sessions. In this respect my review might not be the most helpful as I am in the smallest concentration. However, at the different sessions you had the opportunity to meet the professors and again I was impressed how open they all were and friendly. They all seemed genuinely excited to meet the incoming students, especially those they would be advising. If you are interest in doing research during your time in graduate school I think Michigan would be a great place for you as many masters students are involved in labs and participate in research projects. I can say from speaking with my adviser they already had a project in mind that they would like my help with if I choose to attend. 

 

Additionally there was a career services information session which was one of the most important/interesting parts for me. I know everyone claims Duke's career services is amazing and I have no doubt that it is but Michigan's seems to be nothing to sneeze at. Both schools have masters project requirements and at Michigan everyone has to do one unless you get special permission to opt out which basically means you want to continue on to get a phd and you do a research thesis. At Michigan you also are working with real world clients in teams so that part of the schools is essentially the same. Also a number of people seemed to get hired out of their masters project or from an organization somehow related to the masters project. Also there are three different career days where companies come and recruit students spread out throughout the year. There is even a day devoted to environmental entrepreneurship! They also have a huge database of past student internships that you can look through once you accept and they offer many services to help you secure jobs and internships. Michigan also has one of the largest living alumni groups and you have access to the alumni outside of SNRE so this is a pretty good networking plus. 

 

In addition to the careers services and the professors the students there all seemed very happy with their decision to attend SNRE. The student body is a little less pre-professional and slightly more research oriented but they appear to have the same career stats at Duke and the other major schools so it doesn't seem to hinder students in the job market. 

 

One concern I had was that the average salary for Michigan is on the lower end of the environmental schools salary spectrum. However, after talking to the career services they explained it is because they have many students who ultimately choose to work in the environmental non-profit and education field which in general has lower paying salaries. There are also about 10-20 students a year who continue on to get a phd and they also generally bring down the average salary as they have a stipend probably in the 20-30k range. If this is also a concern for you you should contact career services so they can give you information specific to your concentration since that would likely be more helpful than just a class average.  

 

As for financial aid it appears like it is easier to get fellowships, TA positions, and even research positions once you get in than it is to get them when applying. I received a fellowship already from Michigan for part of my tuition for the first year but once you have taken a class and excelled in it you can apply to TA for the course. If you are selected then you receive a tuition remission for the full amount during that semester and you also receive a 4-9k stipend depending on the number of hrs you are required to put in as a TA. This is a great deal and can make it wayyyy easier to pay for Michigan. However, these are not guaranteed! So its a BIG gamble but it could result in Michigan being substantially cheaper than other schools you may be considering. I met one student who has only paid for her first semester and since than has had TA ships and has been going for free and being supported with a stipend. I also met another student who expected that they would easily be able to get these and unfortunately is taking out more loans than they expected. This is anecdotal but I would look at these as a big plus but not something you should necessarily count on.

 

You can also apply for TAships at other schools and departments within michigan if you have substantial coursework in another subject like math, biology, geology, communication, political science, economics, etc...

 

Over all I really loved Michigan/SNRE and they did an amazing job at admitted students day of getting people excited to attend(at least in my concentration). I still have one more school to visit but I think SNRE would be a great choice for anyone interested in research that wants friendly and invested professors and a job when you graduate!    

[Etownenviro]

bump. 

 

Does anyone else have any thoughts on Michigan's program? 

[adithedevil23]

Hi Etownenviro,

 

Thanks for your extremely detailed review of the SNRE admitted students day.

 

I also got that sense of togetherness from my interactions with students. Also I feel SNRE as a whole is very invested in ensuring that all their students do well. Which has kind of put me in a mess in choosing between Berkeley and Michigan 

 

Therefore I was wondering what sense did you get in terms of the strengths of SNRE in terms of subject areas where it is relatively stronger as compared to some others specifically in terms of renewable energy technology and policy. My sense is that it is stronger in environmental conservation, justice and related areas as compared to renewable technology if one looks at the various research centres at SNRE and within the larger UM campus when I compare it to the research going on at Berkeley. 

 

Let me know what u finally decided as we reach the final stretch of the application process.

 

Cheers

[Etownenviro]

Unfortunately I didn't apply to Berkeley and really don't know anything about the program so I really cannot give you a real comparison. I know they don't have a specific energy concentration but inside of sustainable systems they did have a lot of offerings. I would email michigan and get their course catalog so you can just compare energy offerings directly. 

 

I doubt I will be ending up at Michigan, it is extremely expensive even with the aid I was given and I received some great financial aid from other schools. I LOVED the research they were doing but since I'm not 100% on a phd, I'm just hoping to work in government or possibly private sector, it doesn't seem 100% worth it to take on the higher debt for increased phd prospects.