I would say that the competition for admission at each school is similar. Neither are as competitive as the Ivies. U Mich wasn't offering a lot in terms of sustainable design 4 years ago, but this may have changed. There are many courses (and resources) related to environmental technology that play a significant role in sustainability, not to mention the MISO project (solar house design / build competition - which is fairly new). Ann Arbor is an expensive place to live, but the university is large and diverse, so there's always a lot of social, cultural and recreational activities.

i think it's controversial to say neither is as competitive as the ivies. i'm unfamiliar with ut, but i've heard and seen people getting into the ivies but not umich. and it's common to see people turn down ivy offers to attend umich, not to mention that the ranking, as much as it matters and fluctuates significantly from year to year, ranked umich ahead of penn and columbia. however, having said the above, i'll have to say ivies' connections are impeccable. my two cents.

I'm not familiar with UT but I can tell you that the great thing about UM is that the program is so large with its faculty coming from all walks of life a student can easily find a niche there and pursue their own interests. For instance in my thesis studio we had students working on sustainbility, historic preservation, and others were fully engaged in french philosophy.

i sat on the umich admissions review committee this year. they accept about 70 odd applicants out of the 500 they usually get. most of the applications i looked through weren't that impressive, but a few were exceptional. turning down the ivy's for umich? don't think so. the only ivy i've heard of people turning down was penn, which to me is reasonable because its a lot more expensive and about at the same level. there are also people here who've gotten into berkeley, sci-arc, uva, and risd, but came here instead. i could go on and on about the advantages and disadvantages of umich, but won't unless you ask me to because it will take a lot of typing, and i am basking in the success of my thesis review with a distinctive dark ale.

bossman,

I'm sorry you weren't impressed with my application? congrats on your thesis, i know several others in your boat!

well, after looking through the apps i doubt if i was even in the upper half when i got in. there's a pipeline of exceptional students from korea for some reason.

le boss, who is running the thesis studio these days?

i know, i was just giving you a hard time. sounds like i've got my work cut out for me this fall!

Ann Arbor is expensive. But not as expensive as Austin. And Michigan's highway system far surpasses that of Texas, so it's reasonable to commute. But I wouldn't recommend that. And the winters suck. I hear there was a massive snow storm a few days ago. I can't speak specifically to the two programs, but UT and UM are two of my most favorite college campuses. They are a pleasure to be at.

You can't get Coney's in Texas.

or Blimpie burgers...

or cottage inn pizza...

or Panchero's

and you can't get good Mole' in Michigan.

As a native Austinite, I would argue it is hard, if not impossible, to find a better place for a young person to go for their education.

what about dominicks?

my feeling about michigan in general is that it has a strong program, but there is some difficulty in attracting the sort of reputation it deserves as it isn't on the east or west coast. i have known people who have had nervous breakdowns because of the weather, but i grew up in western michigan where the winters are much more severe and it hasn't really bothered me, even after graduating from arizona state.

Austin is ok, but WAY overrated. It's not the social and cultural mecca that everyone would have you to believe. One of those places that has attained this mythic counter-culture status as an idea in people's minds (the Only Cool City in Texas) to which the physical manifestation just doesn't live up.

"Keep Austin Weird." Yeah, it hasn't been weird in about 25 years.

anyone who thinks panchero's sucks doesn't belong at michigan. i'm sorry but I'll have to ask you to leave now.

alright. granted, panchero's burritos aren't that good - but they're open until 2 am. i've never been to big ten. i do love my chipotle though.

buffalo fill .... did you know that Chipotle is owned by McDonald's?

Dominic's is great until you have that "one bad experience." After that, the sangria just doesn't taste the same anymore. I had to make the transition to Bell's Amber.

I remember UM's Enviromental Technology program from undergrad. Not a good experience, although i will say that Ali Malkawi was great, but he has since left and joined the faculty at Penn.

i think big ten has excellent burritos, but pancheros is among the worst i've ever had. tios can kick pancheros ass

but pancheros has "el gordo." Anytime you can sit and eat a volume of food that is roughly equivalent to the size of your head, it should be considered an accomplishment.

MC, Yes I do know that. It still doesn't change their tasty deliciousness.