Official: University of Michigan Class of 2008 Thread

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Steinway said:
i'll be there...

SP or anyone else have a ballpark figure of how much a UM/OSU ticket is gonna cost me? i've heard some of the med students end up selling their tickets...

Ticket prices vary depending on our record and OSU's record. If we are both undefeated, the ticket prices are crazzzzy expensive- $300-$500 If we are just so so, then it is less than $100.

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UM-OSU will be away in 2004, so it won't be included in the student ticket packet. I don't know how they do away games like that. At my undergrad, we had to sleep on the streets in November to get tickets to our rivalry game.....for some reason I don't think that happens here....

On any given weekend, you'll get emails from students selling their football tickets....pretty much face value (they just don't want to go.....students aren't out to profiteer on each other). OSU.....I remember people had trouble finding tickets. One guy met some drunk guy at a party, and got him to sell it for $60 last year.

As for pre-met, you should probably get an email or info about it in the mail shortly....at least that is what they did last year. They pay you, and you start anatomy and histo, and I don't know what else for a few weeks. I don't know how many people did it.

As for 2nd look.....it was a giant party.....at least for us students.....I don't know what the prospectives thought....
 
The pre-matriculation program is essentially the musculoskeletal sequence--anatomy, physiology, etc. of the musculoskeletal system. I think I got this information somewhere on the website.
 
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Bones2008 said:
yeah, how was that and what did you do? I wanted to go but couldn't because I was graduating that weekend.


it was really cool - they really, really went out of their way to make it a good weekend. :) i got there sort of late-ish on friday; apparently there were financial aid reps there to go over pkgs individually. i made it to the pizza party in the evening - tons of m1s and m2s and prospectives squeezed into a lounge of sorts (that, haha, said "no eating or drinking - quiet please" :laugh: ), but it was surprisingly good pizza so i was happy. later on there was the usual evening festivities, parties etc.. then sat morning (too early) we got breakfast (it sucked though - the tea water was lukewarm :p ) and had dr. remick talk to us for a bit. (p.s. he's a really, really nice guy; even remembered my name and the no-name university i attended when i met him. that gets a plus in my book! :D ) then dr. lash talked to us about the curriculum. this guy was sooooooooo awesome. i was laughing pretty much nonstop...i'm really looking forward to having him as a prof (he teaches the clinical interludes in m1!). here are some things that i didn't know when i went:

- the "new curriculum" is integrated, meaning you study organ systems instead of the traditional discipline approach. most classes have been integrated well. a couple were problematic (embryology i think?)
- "flex time" applies to exams as well as quizzes. this means you can take your quiz/exam if you're ready friday at 6 pm (anytime until monday 8 am i think), and have an entire free weekend with no obligations or pressures. weekly quizzes, while a pain sometimes and a source of low-key stress, are good for keeping you on track.
- entire 1st year is pass/fail with NO RANKING OF ANY KIND (yay!) for the 1st year. i've also heard that after that you're only ranked in quartiles for the purposes of the dean's letter. i also heard that there's serious consideration for changing 2nd year to p/f as well. (i hope i hope i hope i hope that comes through...)
- you get "clinical interludes", 5 of 'em, during m1. This means for 1 whole week, you purely focus on clinical work, applying what you learn in the classroom. most people really, really look forward to this and it seems awesome.
- there's something called "family centered experience" (FCE) where you're matched up w/a family dealing with a serious illness. the goal isn't to participate in treating them and stuff, but to talk to them and get a perspective of what it's like from the patient side. also sounds very cool.
- year 2 will end 2 months earlier so that you have extra time for clinical electives.
- there's a thesis requirement :scared: for our class. 15 pg paper...dr. remick said it shouldn't be a source of stress - it can be basically anything from clinical experiences to basic science research.
- international rotations/internships are becoming really popular and accessible to um students. lots do them in the summer b/t m1/m2 year or during their 3rd year.


then we had the coooooolest experience...we got to go on rounds that morning which was AWESOME. (apparently we went to areas where even the m1s/m2s don't get to go...). our group went to the trauma burn unit where this awesome doc showed us around and went over various cases.

after that we had a tour of a2 (which was also really cool - a2 is a really cool city; not what i'd imagined...the law campus is gorgeous. really pretty place, at least in the spring.) tour of housing and apts.

then there was a student panel which was so-so....then we had a really nice dinner and "explored nightlife". All great experiences. students seem cool. i had a great time overall!

that's all i can think of for now. anyone else who was there...feel free to add :D

edit: oooh, and i forgot, i met sunnys81 when i was there. he was nice enough to pick us all up from the detroit airport...thanks :) and this other really nice girl dropped a bunch of us off at the airport at 6:30 a.m. :eek: so yeah, the peeps were really nice :)
 
spumoni620 said:
- entire 1st year is pass/fail with NO RANKING OF ANY KIND (yay!) for the 1st year. i've also heard that after that you're only ranked in quartiles for the purposes of the dean's letter. i also heard that there's serious consideration for changing 2nd year to p/f as well. (i hope i hope i hope i hope that comes through...)


:thumbup: sweeeeet!

sounds like a good weekend. :D
 
does anyone have any idea, from past years or rumors or whatnot, when the waitlist starts to move... and how they do it? like, do they take a huge chunk off the waitlist first, or is it very slow? I'm getting anxious! congratulations to all of you who are in already, hopefully i'll be there too!
 
THe waitlist should start moving immediately. I don't know where you are on the waitlist but I think Michigan's waitlist is pretty active. Just keep bugging the crap out of the admissions office. Write letters to the dean of admissions and contact your interviewers to find out how to improve your chances of admission. Good luck!

Oh, and one other thing...Go Blue!
 
hmm...alura804, i'm not sure if the waitlist moves a lot at once or if it's just slow/sporadic. however, i do remember hearing from a bunch of students during my interview day that the waitlist *is* pretty active. They actually made a special point of mentioning that in the presentation. i.e. they said they don't make a lot of offers outright, wait to see the % accepting their offers, and then extend offers off the waitlist. To improve your chances, I would definitely send in letters, updates, transcripts, etc. - anything to help your case. Best of luck!
 
Got info about the prematriculation program today via email. sounds really cool :D kind of calms my nerves, as i'm about as far on the liberal-arts/non-science side in terms of background as you can get. there is, gasp, an exam at the end it seems. i wonder how much we get in terms of the "modest stipend"...:idea:

so who else is coming to the pre-mat thing????? any other wolverines-to-be out there? or am i going to be talking to myself for a while? :D
 
hi again, thanks to those who replied to me! maybe my excitement / anxiety helped somehow, because this morning I got a call saying there's a spot for me! so... the waitlist is officially moving!!!!
 
alura804 said:
hi again, thanks to those who replied to me! maybe my excitement / anxiety helped somehow, because this morning I got a call saying there's a spot for me! so... the waitlist is officially moving!!!!
Congratulations!
 
alura804 said:
hi again, thanks to those who replied to me! maybe my excitement / anxiety helped somehow, because this morning I got a call saying there's a spot for me! so... the waitlist is officially moving!!!!

congratulations!!! :hardy:

so alura - where will you be coming from?
 
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spumoni620 said:
edit: oooh, and i forgot, i met sunnys81 when i was there. he was nice enough to pick us all up from the detroit airport...thanks :) and this other really nice girl dropped a bunch of us off at the airport at 6:30 a.m. :eek: so yeah, the peeps were really nice :)

For the record, everyone who I picked up from the airport is coming :)

Maybe it justified my voice's 3 day recovery period after 2nd look.......guess I'll know in August.......

For the class of 2008, I'm know you'll have some pretty cool classmates.....
 
alura804 said:
hi again, thanks to those who replied to me! maybe my excitement / anxiety helped somehow, because this morning I got a call saying there's a spot for me! so... the waitlist is officially moving!!!!

alura804...are you a MI resident, or are you out-of-state? I've heard they fill up their in-state spots first, so I was just curious which you are, so I know whether I should be hopeful yet. Thanks!
 
SunnyS81 said:
For the record, everyone who I picked up from the airport is coming :)

Maybe it justified my voice's 3 day recovery period after 2nd look.......guess I'll know in August.......

For the class of 2008, I'm know you'll have some pretty cool classmates.....


w00t :D y'all managed to drag three people from cali to the quaint lil town of a2??? ;)

just teasing. i actually really liked ann arbor when i visited. now it looks like i have to get my act together to move cross-country in less than a month! :eek:
 
i'm in state, so the rumor may be true that they fill in state spots first. But i'll be coming from Boston. who is coming to Dominick's with me! (if you don't know Dominick's yet, you will soon, sangria flows like juice!)
 
Too bad Domick's is only open for part of the year......

As for which gets filled first, I think they look at what the student body is composition is after all people with acceptances respond, then select people from the waitlist who will balance out or make the class composition what they want (instate-outstate and gender-wise).
 
alura804 said:
i'm in state, so the rumor may be true that they fill in state spots first. But i'll be coming from Boston. who is coming to Dominick's with me! (if you don't know Dominick's yet, you will soon, sangria flows like juice!)

ahh, i've heard of the famous dominick's, although we didn't get a chance to go there (since they close at 10pm, i think?). but it'll be nice to go there in july, since it's an outdoorsy place...

everyone know where they'll be living and such? alura, are you originally from a2?
 
yeah they close at 10 and kick a lot of drunk people out way too early! its kind of funny. I went to UofM for undergrad, and loved it there! can't wait to be back.
does anyone know if the Medical Center Court or Island Drive apartments still have leases available? I'll probably head back soon to find something
 
I'm pretty sure both complexes have leases available. If you give my name and addres (1129-5) at Med Center court, I'll split whatever compensation they give us + a TV/VCR combo if they give us one (I think they gives the person whose name you put down the TV/VCR combo and $200 off rent.....)

There is an equal deal at Island drive, so if anyone signs a lease, let me know and I'll give you someone's name to put down so at least you can make a little money (and become friends with future M2's :) )

Just a little solicitations :)

Just another poor med student
 
When you guys are talking about dominick's, do you mean the grocery store? What's the excitement about dominick's?

-Ice
 
I thought tenants at Med Center Court Apartments were getting screwed over ...no? On the admitted students website there are a couple of posts about Med Center Court Apartments. I'm not gonna live there.
 
hm, i heard the med center courts were switching to some different method of charging rent or something....so it comes out to a bit extra per month according to a umich student. this is what was posted on the '08 website:

i'm an m2 and just wanted to give you some info about Medical Center Court apartments (I currently live there), for those who might be looking to sign a new lease for next year. They have been very subversive about changes going on in their leasing for the next year. They will begin by charging you for gas, water, waste water, trash removal fee, plus an adminstrative fee to run all of this. Also, its not that you pay for your individual apartment's costs, they total the unit's usage and then divide amongst the tenants in the building. Island drive is cheaper, and doesn't charge you for that and will have a fitness room in the fall. Originally I picked this place cause of the nice management, the fitness room and having a dishwasher - most of which seem comparable to Island Drive now.

Personal opinion may differ, but I feel very dissatisfied with the management change here. I know there are a lot of other options in this area with the condos and apts and think my roommate and I would have moved out if we had the chance.

and this was a response:

Hey guys-

I got some numbers from the Med Center Court leasing office so we don't have to guess about this anymore. For my 2-bedroom apartment, here are the monthly estimates (based on inflation-adjusted average usage over the past 2 years):

Water, Trash, and Sewage: $22-$32
Gas: $5-$35 (variation due to winter)

Put another way, it'll be about $25 extra / person / month.

that's all i know; maybe sunny wants to shed more light on this if he knows? i got a chance to check out the apts during 2nd look weekend, and personally wasn't too impressed (thought it was a bit overpriced, and the 2-bedroom models aren't of equal size, so that might be an issue.) but it's definitely liveable imo. my host was living close to island drive, and i thought those apartments were pretty nice. here's a linky: Island Drive Apts i'm probably going to live there if i can't get a condo. alura, i think they still have leases available....not sure, you could probably email/call them...
 
ice_23 said:
When you guys are talking about dominick's, do you mean the grocery store? What's the excitement about dominick's?

-Ice


i haven't been there, so i might be wrong, but my impression is that it's an outdoor bar/hang-out place, right? apparently they have really good sangria and a laid-back, chill atmosphere...popular hangout. :)

the only grocery store i'd get enthusiastic about would be whole foods...:love:
(and conveniently, they happen to have a nice new one located close to the med school :D - seriously, i don't think i could live anywhere that didn't have this store nearby :oops: )
 
haha, yeah dominick's is a bar... and a very fun one because they have picnic tables out back with trees and a fountain, and they put something in the mystery sangria that makes you feel really great at night and really horrible the next day! but its so worth it.
thanks for the posts on the housing situation!
I just got accepted and haven't been able to log on to the accepted people page yet... is there some resource to help incoming students find roommates?
 
Med Center Court....hmm, that's an interesting topic..

I'm supposed to meet with the leasing manager sometime to find out exactly what my rent will be next year, since they haven't told us. I think there is a lot of unknowns here.

The numbers ben posted on 2008.shorturl.com are about right. At least as close numbers as they will tell us for now. They said they didn't have the exact numbers yet from the mother company until early this week.

Rumor is that Ann Arbor is starting to charge apartments for trash and sewage. I was sort of confused by this. Did they not charge before? Someone said that everyone can expect a rent hike in the years to come because of landlords having to pay this fee.

The company (McKinley) says that instead of increasing our rent at the typical 4% rate or so, they will just charge us utilities. Once I see my contract, I can say more. They also claim to do this in the name of conservation, which they actually might have some basis for. I live on the 3rd floor, so I should in theory get the coldest wind in the winter, but I had to open my windows this winter because it got above 80 inside when it was below 20 outside because someone in the building was running their heat to ridiculous levels. I can only assume it is the punk undergrads under me err....

In terms of ghettoness it definitely goes Island Drive > Med Center > Riverhouse > Neilsen Square. I'm expecting to pay about $30/month/person more than this past year during the coldest part of the year. I don't know where the person got the idea that they will be pooling the building's use and dividing the bill because I never say that.

As for differences, I don't think I could live without my dishwasher. I cook a lot, as does my roommate, and it would just be a pain. I know dishes can often be a source of tension between roommates. They have really good service, something I attribute to a large company. My refridgerator broke, and they replaced it in one day and repaid me for all my spoiled groceries ($230). When my AC broke, they got a new one within 24 hours. I can't ask for much more. Island drive is a bit too sketch for me, but maybe it is juse the offwhite paint that makes it look all dark and gloomy.

As for anyone on the 2008 site who is claiming that ben is just looking for referrals, I think that is off target. Ben's a pretty honest guy. I don't think he would point anyone in the wrong direction.

Just rent the place you like. $30 isn't that big of a deal. If you really wanted to save money you would live a mile down the street and save $200/month. As for me, I don't think I could survive that walk.

And oh yes, renting costs here are a lot higher than they should be. I'm paying the same rate as I did in downtown Atlanta. I have the smaller bedroom, but my roommate and I are switching after this year, so it balances out. I have queen size bed and like my room.
 
hey, sunny thanks for the heads up on the apartments.

alura, you could try posting on the discussion forum (on the admitted students site as bones pointed out) or the 2008 website - 2008.shorturl.com .

i'm still debating if i should bite the bullet and do the roommate thing or live alone. i've kind of gotten used to my own space now...but it's pretty expensive unless i decide to live a little farther out... :(
 
Hey guys! I just got off the waitlist at UMich yesterday and I'm definitely going to be going next year too! I just started looking into housing today and am also thinking of either Island Drive and Med Center. Med Center seemed nice because it has a 24 hr fitness center. But...like you guys have mentioned, I did see on some apartments.com ratings website that there were quite a few bad comments about Med Center. I have a couple friends that are 3rd and 4th years that live in some other places that they liked but I forgot what the apartment complexes are called right now (Sunny..they are up on the hill kind of near Kerrytown...but relatively close to the medical campus...if you have any idea what I'm talking about are those any good?)

If anyone has any specific questions not related to medical school stuff but on Ann Arbor or Michigan feel free to ask me. I did undergrad and grad school at Michigan so I know the area pretty well. I've been out of state for the last couple of years so I'm sure i'm not up on the latest though... I can say though that Dominicks is really awesome in the summer! I can't wait :D
 
1. If you don't have a car, where should you live?
2. When does the prematriculation program start, and how much does it cost?

Thx,

Ice
 
Zahri, welcome back to A^2......as my small group leader said.....don't stay here too long, this place is like quicksand....after a while you never leave.

Everyone who lives in teh kerrytown area lives in houses. I am not familiar with the complexes you are talking about, Zahri. I think I may know one of the places you are talking about, but I wasn't exactly in the best mental state when I went there, so I don't remember where it is.

Look at the AATA and Michigan bus lines to see where you can live if you don't have a car. Otherwise, walking distance to the school and near one of those stops might be helpful.

I think they pay you for premat....not sure....
 
Re: car - i've heard for the most part that having a car in a2 is pretty much advisable- not for getting to and from school (that could be taken care of via public transport) but more for things like grocery shopping, going places, etc. is this true? i'd definitely like to avoid bringing my car if i can manage it. *hopes fervently*


Re: pre-mat - From the official website...it says the premat program accepts a max of 25 students...and that "Program participants receive a modest stipend to help defray housing costs". don't know what "modest" means though.


and welcome, zahri!! :D
 
spumoni620 said:
Re: car - i've heard for the most part that having a car in a2 is pretty much advisable- not for getting to and from school (that could be taken care of via public transport) but more for things like grocery shopping, going places, etc. is this true? i'd definitely like to avoid bringing my car if i can manage it. *hopes fervently*

My family's only owned one car for the past 15 years (it's our new one ;)) and although it is well accustomed to the blustery winters of the midwest I don't think I can leave my parents immobile...:):)

So I'll have to borrow from someone...*hint* *hint*

;)

-Ice
 
ice_23 said:
My family's only owned one car for the past 15 years (it's our new one ;)) and although it is well accustomed to the blustery winters of the midwest I don't think I can leave my parents immobile...:):)

So I'll have to borrow from someone...*hint* *hint*

;)

-Ice

heh, sounds like my family's 16-year old honda accord. it's seen some pretty rough canadian winters, but now it's "retired" and sits in front of our house - although we can't get rid of it b/c it's got too much sentimental value :laugh:

haha, to your ever-subtle hint, i can give ya rides in a2 -but keep in mind i have a beat up ol' saturn so it's not gonna be glamorous...which reminds me, i wonder if i need to do anything to my car to "prepare" it for cold winters? hmmm....
 
spumoni620 said:
heh, sounds like my family's 16-year old honda accord. it's seen some pretty rough canadian winters, but now it's "retired" and sits in front of our house - although we can't get rid of it b/c it's got too much sentimental value :laugh:

haha, to your ever-subtle hint, i can give ya rides in a2 -but keep in mind i have a beat up ol' saturn so it's not gonna be glamorous...which reminds me, i wonder if i need to do anything to my car to "prepare" it for cold winters? hmmm....

LOL yea, we've got one "retired" ford maverick (30 years old). But both cars would work perfectly if we were in a jam...they're kinda like our trusty steeds...:)

-Ice
 
bumpin' on up for anyone off the waitlist!!! wanna see who else is going to brave the cold with me this year.... :D

and ice - 30 years old?!? :eek: wow, that takes the cake
*marvels in wonderment*
 
*crickets chirping*

it's okay, i'm an interesting person...i can have lengthy conversations with myself :D

where are you guys??? make yourselves known!
 
Ok, this is mostly addressed to people out there that may already attend UofM. How does one go about applying for loans? What are the forms that we have to fill out for the Stafford and other loans and stuff. Is this provided from the Fin. Aid office and I have just have not gotten them yet? I called the Fin. Aid office and the lady said that you only had to fill out FAFSA. I don't know if she fully understood what I was asking.

Any help would be appreciated.
 
I was sent a link a couple months ago to the online financial aid form. If you just got in, I guess you'll get the same link soon. Maybe call back and ask about the online form.
 
Bones2008 said:
I was sent a link a couple months ago to the online financial aid form. If you just got in, I guess you'll get the same link soon. Maybe call back and ask about the online form.

Thanks but I mean a loan application not the one for fin. aid. Other schools have sent things like a MPN...some sort of promissary note to receive the Stafford loan, but I haven't gotten anything from Mich. about it. I have done the FAFSA and the Online Fin. Aid form and I've already gotten my package. I just wanted to know what form to fill out to receive a loan and where do I get this form.

Thanks
 
Zahri said:
Hey guys! I just got off the waitlist at UMich yesterday and I'm definitely going to be going next year too! I just started looking into housing today and am also thinking of either Island Drive and Med Center. Med Center seemed nice because it has a 24 hr fitness center. But...like you guys have mentioned, I did see on some apartments.com ratings website that there were quite a few bad comments about Med Center. I have a couple friends that are 3rd and 4th years that live in some other places that they liked but I forgot what the apartment complexes are called right now (Sunny..they are up on the hill kind of near Kerrytown...but relatively close to the medical campus...if you have any idea what I'm talking about are those any good?)
i think you may be talking about the fuller drive apartment building and the one right next to it. they're decent places; a little less expensive than white coat ghetto, if i remember correctly, and about 4 blocks from kerrytown. i know people who have lived there. easy walk to school, too.
 
Hi all,

Touching on what Ice mentioned briefly a few posts back, I wondered if anyone else was doing the premat program that starts July12th? I found out that I have a reserved spot recently and am curious if any fellow SDNers will be joining me. I'm an in-state resident, and I'll be moving to the AA area around July 1st, so I figured 3 weeks of review/overview coursework can't hurt - especially being several years removed from my bio courses! Anyone else in the mix? Looking forward to meeting all of you in August!

~ Andria
 
Hey, does anybody know the annual cost for M-Care? I already have a pretty good deal on health insurance, so I don't know if switching to M-Care is worth it. Does anybody know the answer to my question?
 
elias514 said:
Hey, does anybody know the annual cost for M-Care? I already have a pretty good deal on health insurance, so I don't know if switching to M-Care is worth it. Does anybody know the answer to my question?
mcare/grad care will run you about $200 month. at the end of every semester, you will get about a $100 rebate. they're trying to keep the insurance cost to about $2000/year or something like that. if you have insurance already and it's good and cheap (or, even better, free) then stick with it. i feel like i pay a lot for grad care and it pisses me off. not only do the phd kids get a stipend, but they also get free health care. wtf we're going into health care and we have to pay $200/month for it? don't mind me, i'm just a bitter $40K/year in loans instate resident who is annoyed. it's pretty decent/comprehensive insurance, though, so i guess that's good.
 
Please! said:
I have done the FAFSA and the Online Fin. Aid form and I've already gotten my package. I just wanted to know what form to fill out to receive a loan and where do I get this form.

Thanks

Ok...how about I ask this. What company/ lender are you guys using to apply for your loans (sallie mae, key bank, etc) ? Has anyone already applied for them? Or will there be some sort of magical check waiting for me when I get to Mich?
 
The promissary note will be mailed to you some time over the summer if you have NEVER taken a loan before from a university.

You don't select lenders. In fact, just like any other bank loan (if you've taken one) they sell them back and forth to each other. The one UM gives is Stafford and is straight from the government though.....its the other one (federal something) that goes through an intermediate bank.....

It is all magically taken care for you.
 
Well, it looks like I won't be signing up for M-Care, as it costs twice as much as my current plan.
 
Elias,

In response to your question about the reserved premat program spot... I submitted an online Interest Form about a month ago when an e-mail from admissions mentioned the program. Apparently, based on whatever criteria or availability, my interest translated into a spot in the program. I just received an e-mail from the Office of Student Programs notifying me that I was set to be a premat program participant and to look for more info in a mailing next week. The how and why of it all is still a mystery to me. Sorry my answer's not more concrete:(
 
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