Congratulations!!! 🎉🎉 Your student just received their acceptance to the University of Michigan—an incredible accomplishment. You’re probably wondering what is the next step. In January 2024, I was in your shoes, full of excitement and questions and now have a UM Freshman. As a local Ann Arbor parent with ties to the University who has been writing about living in Ann Arbor with Kids, it only seems natural to continue to provide my expertise to both local and non-local UMich families.
A2 for UMich Parents
This post is part of our new section A2 for UMich Parents. My “Ann Arbor Kid” started college in fall 2024! I joined UM parent groups and found parents asking for the local “scoop”. After answering a few questions, other local parents familiar with Ann Arbor with Kids suggested I continue to provide my experience on A2 for UMich Parents.
Disclosure: Links below may be affiliate links. Ann Arbor with Kids receives a commission on sales. We appreciate your support by shopping through our links.
2025 University of Michigan Admissions
I heard University of Michigan early action acceptances are likely to be released on Friday, January 24. Last year we were in the same spot – eagerly awaiting the response from University of Michigan.
Last year my daughter was eagerly checking her portal at 3p on the dot for the news. She was happy to be accepted to University of Michigan Engineering but was disappointed to learn that decisions on Computer Science admission follow in 10 days.
So you’re probably wondering now that I’ve been admitted what next? I am sure Michigan is not the only great school that your student was admitted to, so now the task becomes figuring out which amazing school to attend.
Campus Day for Admitted Students at University of Michigan
Michigan was always one of my daughter’s top choices. The night after admission she did worry that she was picking Michigan just because staying in Ann Arbor was “safe”. After attending Michigan’s Campus Day, she was 90% committed. Then we attended one at her second choice school and it was clear. Michigan proved itself to be the best choice, not the safe choice.
Book Admitted Student Day Now!!
The first step after acceptance is to attend a Campus Day. These events provide a closer look at the University, helping your student decide if Michigan is the right fit. Campus Day includes general university information in the morning than splits into College or Major sessions for the afternoon.
Book your spot immediately as spaces fill up quickly. My daughter waited for the computer science decision – and by that point all of the computer science sessions were full. But we had a great campus day at the alternate major we attended.
What to Expect at UMich Campus Day for Admitted Students
Campus Day started at the Michigan Union with a financial aid session and the Michigan Learning Community fair. This was followed by a presentation on Uniquely Michigan and from Housing. The common session ended with a Q&A with a student panel.
I suggest arriving early for the Michigan Learning Communities Fair. We skipped over the fair since my daughter wasn’t initially interested. She did decide to do a Michigan Learning Community and has had an amazing experience. As with any student panel, the Q&A can only be as good as the questions asked. The best questions at our session came from students – not the parents.
After the Q&A, were tours which were divided by college. Since my daughter is in engineering, we were with an engineering group. After our tour, we had lunch in the dining hall and then split into an engineering tour or a department meeting.
With an engineer, they gave us a tour of a couple of science buildings on central campus, then we took the bus – with current students – to north campus. Taking the bus between campuses was one of my daughter’s concerns about Michigan, so it made her feel better about traveling between campuses..
Lunch at a dining hall was included in Campus Day. Since we were on north campus, we ate at the Bursley Dining Hall. The dining manager met with us and talked about the dining hall including allergy accommodations and variety.
After lunch, they showed us a dorm room at Bursley. We appreciated seeing a dorm since we did not see one when we took a campus tour.. I expect that you will see a dorm with the
We attended a department information session. This was a great chance to learn more about the specific program my daughter was interested in.
You can find more details on the program for each college on the Campus Day website.
Where to Stay for Campus Day
Disclosure: Links below may be affiliate links. Ann Arbor with Kids receives a commission on sales. We appreciate your support by shopping through our links.
Ann Arbor has plenty of hotels to choose from. As we visited other colleges, we tried to stay within walking distance of campus. Currently there are a few options near campus…The Graduate, The Bell Tower, and The Residence Inn are all hotels where you can walk to campus.
There are many hotels near Briarwood Mall which are a convenient drive to campus. I have personally stayed at the Hyatt Place Ann Arbor and Sheraton and have had family stay at the Courtyard.
Where to Eat When at Campus Day
Campus Day includes lunch at a campus dining hall. If you are staying overnight, you may need dinner or breakfast before the program.
If your hotel offers breakfast, we suggest eating there. The Michigan Union has a Sweetwaters Cafe and a Panera. Personally, I am partial to Sweetwaters – plus it looks like Panera does not open until 9a – after the session has started.
For dinner, we typically preferred to eat in the restaurants adjacent to campus where a student is likely to eat instead of the fancier places that are reserved for when parents visit.
Casual Dining Near University of Michigan
Finding the right place to eat near University of Michigan is an important part of a visit to University of Michigan. Whether you are visiting for move-in, orientation, parents weekend, or a prospective student tour, this guide will help you find the right place to take your college student. Ann Arbor is renowned for its […]
What Else to Do on Campus Day
Campus Day ends around 3p. If you have additional time to spend in Ann Arbor, we have a few suggestions.
First, explore the areas near campus. You’ll frequently find students on State St (between William and Washington) and the nearby blocks. Here you will find shopping such as Target and Rally House as well as restaurants, ice cream, coffee, and tea spots.
Check out South University for restaurants, Pinball Pete’s Arcade, and also the abundance of off-campus student high rise apartments.
There are several museums on campus. Stop for a visit at the Natural History Museum, Kelsey Museum of Archaeology, or Museum of Art.
Or, make time to attend a performance or a sporting event while on campus.
What to Consider When Deciding on University of Michigan
Is University of Michigan the right school for your student? That is something each student needs to decide for themselves based on what they are looking for.
My daughter loved the size of Michigan and the robustness of the program she was looking for. The facilities that are available, the course work, the industry connections were all important to her.
I’ll be honest there were a few downsides to Michigan. The two big downsides for her was the central/north campus split and the lack of on-campus housing after freshman year.
As an engineer, splitting her time between north and central campus was not her favorite. Using the bus system during Campus Day definitely helped it seem more reasonable. Don’t think that you can avoid north campus if you aren’t in engineering or STAMPS. Students are not assigned to dorms based on majors and many freshman are assigned to Bursley & Baits dorms on North Campus.
On-campus housing is scarce after freshman year. Be sure to familiarize yourself at least a bit with the off-campus housing market and the prices. Accommodations range from the newer, luxury high-rise student apartments to smaller apartment buildings and homes. Prices are highest in the high rise apartments but come with advantages like newer buildings, prime location, furnished units, and individual leases. You can also lower the off-campus housing cost by living further from campus.
