March 29, 2008
Why you should go to Michigan: Friends
Cue the cheesy music. Yes, I picked Michigan because of the people. Visit the schools you got into and ask yourself, would I want to spend the next three years of my life with people like this? If the answer is no, then the school will probably agree—don’t go there. But at a place like Michigan, it’s hard for the answer not to be yes. The people here are amazing.
Why is this? Class size helps. To me, 350 is like the gold(ilocks) standard. Think back to a lecture you might have taken with about 120 people in it. Now imagine those are the only people in your 1L class. Feeling socially claustrophobic yet? Yup, too small. Kick it up to 500 or more and good luck being on a first name basis with the Financial Aid office. It’s just too big. But somewhere in between, and you get the benefits of a diverse class without the costs of too many fish in the pond.
It also helps that our admissions office really prides itself on selecting people not just based on numbers. As a result, you encounter students from all sorts of different backgrounds with very varied opinions. Despite this, everyone here seems to have one thing in common: strong academics without being defined by previous success. People here are very passionate about intellectual pursuits, but equally so about non-intellectual pursuits. Listen in at dinner, and you’ll hear the same conversation jump from a debate over criminal murder statutes to the presidential election to Michigan’s football team to dating advice all in a matter of minutes.
I like being at a place where I can talk about topics covered in class but don’t have to. Let’s face it, we’re all nerds. We’re in law school. But not all law schools attract nerds who are also good people. My friends here send me their notes when I’m sick, notice when I’m having a bad day, and genuinely want me to succeed. And that makes a difference. Law school is stressful enough as it is, who wants the added stress of having to be suspicious that everyone sitting next to you is out to get you?
So if you’re looking to be surrounded by fellow nerds that also really dig karaoke on a Friday night, or going to football games on Saturdays, or playing ping-pong for two hours after brunch, Michigan is the place for you. And if you happen to really enjoy hiding library books, do us all a favor and hide them somewhere else.