OT: Who Should Claim UM Alumni Status
So posts on another thread inspired me to post this as I have wondered about it for a while. To be considere a UM Alumni, do you have to have graduated from UM? I myself had about 50% of my undergraduate credits from UM, but I graduated from another school (grew up in Ann Arbor, had to leave). I have never been comfortable saying I am an alumni from UM. We certainly consider athletes who don't graduate alumni. The UM Alumni Association will take anyone who wants to write a check as a member.
I went to UofM-Dearborn and I never claim that I went to Ann Arbor. It doesn't matter to me.
I openly admit that Ann Arbor is much harder. I was wait listed for UofM-AA and didn't get in.
If you did go to Ann Arbor, that's awesome! Good for you! Why make fun of others who didn't?
Spartans question why I cheer for Michigan because I didn't go to the "real" school, which I've always found ridiculous. I'm seeing some Michigan grads on here that seem to have the same line of thinking, which is sad.
What I will say is that going to UofM-Dearborn doesn't make me any less of a Michigan football fan. I've been a fan since birth and Michigan football has, is, and always will be a huge part of my life. You can knock on me for going to UofM-D, but don't you dare question my love or loyalty to UofM athlectics.
Bottom line-The degree may be different but we ALL share the same love for Michigan.
On that note wth is wrong w some people in this thread? Get over yourselves. Unless you use your degree to cure cancer or develop a multimillion dollar social media website you're really not any more impressive than someone who went to another lower regarded school. If anything when I meet a below average performer from UM-AA I get disappointed that they didn't take advantage of their exceptional resources.
uofm is uofm, and if you love the school and love the team there's absolutely no issue. my only theoretical issue would be in something like medical school applications if a school looked at two applicants with similar stats, one from dearborn and one from ann arbor, and compared their science gpa's as apples-to-apples. the world is just too competitive, it makes dicks out of some of us. once you get in, i don't really care what school you went to...graduate school is the great equalizer...you're here because you worked your ass off (and are good at standardized tests).
Basically UMD students are not generally displacing UM-AA students from spots at med programs and if they do its not because of GPA which is just one component of the application process. That argument is prob splitting hairs.
I know a few people who had half of their science credits from community colleges and if they make it to med school they aren't lacking in ability at this level. So what's the matter? Half of the UG curriculum is meaningless in med school anyway. Orgo? Physics? Useless.
Wayne doesn't give an applicant a secondary unless they have a certain gpa and mcat. I'd also argue that there are several introductory courses at UofM that pretty much tell you whether or not you're cut out for the sciences. There is definitely good predictive value (in my mind) about a person's academic potential and their performance in a class like Orgo II, Calc II, Calc Physics, etc. I don't really know if other schools can say the same thing. They aren't necessary for your medical career (hell, 3/4 of what we learn in years 1-2 are utterly usless), but it's all about showing you have the ability to learn something challenging.
Full disclosure: I'm not much of an abstract thinker...I did terrible in both Orgo and Calc. I mean those are prob the sole reasons why I had a hard time getting in. My verbal score saved me from weakness in those areas. But I've done above average in every first year course save cell bio (of all classes lol!). I do much better in applied sciences - something I can relate to a real patient. So again it's not that your point is wrong but I think it's overstated.
We totally derailed the thread but I'll just say I'm just grateful my school agreed with me and had no prejudices about my resume so I have the privilege of studying a field that I am passionate about! Always Go Blue!
With regard to medical school, Flint and Dearborn combined send less than 20 per year to US medical schools. They're more or less sheltered Asian and Arabic outliers whose parents are very stricy and didn't let them go away for college. Ann Arbor sends hundreds every year to US medical schools. Inflated satellite GPAs get exposed on the MCAT, interviews, etc. If you're serious about medical school, it's absurd to maintain at a satellite. Your peer group, faculty, research opportunities, resources, and connections are grossly inferior.
All that happens is people who went to UM AA won't get off their high horse and admit that Dearborn and Flint grads are still UofM grads and people who graduated from Dearborn or Flint won't admit that AA is by far the most quality of the three. All three are great to attend. Just because you go to Flint or Dearborn doesn't necessarily make you lesser than those in AA. My sister was accepted into both MSU and UM but opted to go to SVSU because she wanted to go somewhere smaller and secluded. I went to community college for two years despite having a 3.8 GPA and a 30 on my ACT. Why? Because I just didn't know if college was for me. I hated school. I ended up finishing my two years and transferring to Wayne State and I haven't regretted my decision once. My point is just because someone goes to a "lesser" University doesn't directly make them less intelligent. But to answer the question OP, yes, you are an alumnus. Say it proudly.
Who gives a damn where someone went to school?
I mean, they are all basically the same anyway lol
Being purposely ambiguous, buying a Michigan plate for your car instead of the satellite you attended, etc. is as bad as an airhead sorority girl at MSU lying that she got into Ann Arbor but liked the vibe of East Lansing more.
All the plates are maize block Ms now, with a navy square background. Only difference is it says Dearborn or Flint under the M on the satellite versions. Further, that fundraiser coin sends a donation to your alma mater. Why would you send $25 to filthy rich Ann Arbor if you have so much pride for Dearborn or Flint?
The license plate thing bothers you immensely. We know because you cannot shut up about it as if it's a legitimate problem under any circumstance.
This was a treat.
Well, I feel like I should chime in here.
*clears throat*
Ahem.
Fuck if I know.
I don't know why but this Flint/Dearborn vs. AA debate is driving me crazy. It is like saying you went to Wisconsin when you attended Stevens Point or saying you went to Cal, when you went to Santa Barbara. They are different schools, with different admissions, different faculty, different missions and different types of students. The best argument I can come up with to prove the differentiation is that UM Flint or Dearborn students cannot attend classes at Ann Arbor.
By proclaiming them to be different schools, does not intrinsically diminish the two satellite schools. They just aren't "Michigan", as it is commonly refered to.
And for all those clamoring about their diploma just saying "University of Michigan" on it, it appears that has been rectified.
I think the main issue is that there is a common misconception that a more prestigious degree denotes a more worthwhile member of the workforce because lazy people in hiring positions will filter people out based on the school of applicant.
People good at hiring understand that there are hundreds of factors that can limit the education of an applicant like socioeconomic factors or domestic issues. They know that talented, creative, and loyal employees can come from everywhere, even those without college education(depending on the field of course, not too many self-trained doctors out there). Dedicated people who are truly enamored with a field of study will gain knowledge of their field, within or independent of formal learning environments, and they will be the most productive employees. A stuffed shirt may get good grades, but they will always be a stuffed shirt.
A prestigious university with higher admittance standards will always "produce" more talented, productive people simply because talented, productive people make choices that put them in the best position possible. These people can be just as productive and become just as good employees at lesser institutions. Maybe better if it keeps their ego in check.
A school is nothing more than a tool for the student, there's nothing intrinsic about any school that creates worthwhile people out of nothing.
"because lazy people in hiring positions will filter people out based on the school of applicant."
Sure, you might find a "diamond in the rough" if you screen EVERY applicant around the country, but the time and money to do so isn't worth it. Target schools represent efficiency. If high-prestige employers felt the need to expand their scope, they'd do so. They have no trouble filling their spots with the target schools. Further, it's risky hiring a non-target employee for a hiring manager. If that employee screws up, who gets fired? Hiring from a feeder is safe.
Just because a system is in place doesn't mean that it isn't broken. The fact that exclusive educational institutions have a stranglehold on most desirable job markets is the root cause of a lot of the inequality that we face in this country.
Besides, a wise man once said, "people in charge of things are just in charge of them for no reason"
You have an extraordinarily narrow view of success. Are you out in the real work world?
boat. Working for someone who never graduated from college and instead learned on the go, started his own company and now employs you OR working for his useless son in law, cousin, or nephew who beer bonged his way thru U of Whatever on mom & dads dime and returned to the corner office which was pre decorated for him.
Fact is folks, those degrees are becoming more and more obsolete as we speak. In 1970 the only way some kids were ever exposed to the "world" and its many varied ideas, styles and personalities was by leaving home and going to "university". Thats because in 1970 we all got 3 channels of TV, 5 radio stations and had to drive 10 miles to a public library to read about anything.
My 10yr old Googled how to make carbon nano tubes and spent 2 hours explaining the process to me and all the stuff they could do while I was trying to watch the tigers vs. yankees game. Does he completely understand it? Hell no, not even close. BUT.. he knows there are many innovative and advantagous uses for those things and that there is a process that produces them. He knows these things at 10 yrs old. Meanwhile that guy who graduated from U of M in 1973 with a BA in English? Well at least he didn't have to pay 50% of that avg.annual household income of the US per yr to get his and it was rarer then to have one at all.
The things universities had a monopoly on for 200 years are quickly becoming run of the mill(outside of very high level research stuff that 90+% of M students never have any involvement with).
Keep trying to justify the 27k a yr it cost you but thats going to get harder and harder to do as that 27 turns to 34, then 45, then 75. IMHO they maxed out their ROI at about 12-16k/yr and its been overvalued since then(for 90% of students). The future is going to be a crazy place folks and things that once had value are not going to continue to hold that same value forever. Ask the guy with the barn full of TV repair components.
Rant over.
My diploma says "The University of Michigan" at the top of it, and is (robo)signed by the president of the University of Michigan.
And I worked hard for my degrees with High Honors, so you can fuck right off the Mackinac Bridge if you don't think I deserve to be called an Alumnus.
I paid my tuition, and I drove my ass down to Ann Arbor twice a weekend to be part of the Children of Yost for 5 years. Anyone who tells me I don't count can suck my dick.
You count and you can proudly call yourself an alum...of the University of Michigan at Dearborn (or Flint).
See previous comment about the Mackinac Bridge.
How dare you try and represent yourself as a member of that elite club that their mommies and daddies forked out 10's of thousands of $$ to get them into AND that they themselves worked SOOO fucking HARD, I mean NIGHT and fucking DAY, laboring intesively, straining their already gifted minds to their very LIMIT so as to experience the level of personal growth and expanded intellect that can ONLY come from being in the presence of other hyper intellegent over achievers just like themselves.
You sir are just a notch above a BUM!! and I being of high mind and far superior intellect, would be able to tell within 10 seconds in a job interview that YOU are indeed an IMPOSTER to the REAL DEAL graduates of the intellectual MECCA that is U of M (Ann Arbor).
BTW, do you know how to pick out the ___________(fill in blank with Harvard, Yale, Stanford, MIchigan, Hope, K-college etc) grad at a party??
Dont worry its easy, just stand there and wait for the arrogant prick to come over and tell you.
A students WORK FOR D students and dropouts most of the time.(except in field of medicine & science) because while you were spending daddy's money at univerisity he/she was building a business with hustle, intelligence(not of the Phd kind) and sweat.
and get a few years of experience, your degree really isn't all that important. While it is a great way to get your foot in the door, you will make your way up the corporate ladder with great work ethic and personal skills; not a piece of paper hanging in your office. Some of you act like you are entitled to better oppurtunities and superior to others because of a school you started to attend when you were 19. A little humbleness can go a long way.
dupont, you are the type of person I would hate to work with. I am sure your ideas are always the best and your opinion is the only one that matters.
Sorry I'm posting uncomfortable facts?
Elite schools matter because they're strong signals... Evaluators relied intensely on "school" as a criterion of evaluation... [largely] because of the perceived rigor of these institutions' admissions processes. According to this logic, the more prestigious a school, the higher its "bar" for admission, and thus the "smarter" its student body. In addition to being an indicator of potential intellectual deficits, the decision to go to a lesser known school (because it was typically perceived by evaluators as a "choice") was often perceived to be evidence of moral failings, such as faulty judgment or a lack of foresight on the part of a student."
Yes, a large part of the interviewing and hiring process in this country have absolutely zero criterion validity.
Most companies would get just as quality employees by randomly picking out of the qualified resumes as they do with their interview/hiring process.
I can tell you from experience that no one outside the state of Michigan cares which U of M campus you spent more time at. All that matters to them (when it matters at all) is that you have a degree from U of M.
I can tell you from experience that no one outside the state of Michigan cares which U of M campus you spent more time at. All that matters to them (when it matters at all) is that you have a degree from U of M.
Seven pages into this thread, and I still can't tell whose dick is bigger.
Jesus, will I be glad when the season gets here.
April 24th, 2015 at 12:37 AM ^
You might think your fancy degree opened a lot of doors, but that's nothing compared to the portal-prying leverage of a big dick!
April 23rd, 2015 at 10:24 PM ^
April 23rd, 2015 at 10:24 PM ^
Something that I don't see mentioned here that deserves to be pointed out is that this whole conversation is being skewed in the fallacy that only engineering or chemistry degrees matter in the world.
So we have people being arrogant about their city of temporary residence, AND people being arrogant about their degree. This really is a total winner of a thread.
April 23rd, 2015 at 11:13 PM ^
I went to UM-Flint back when it was still split into two campuses: the science/math building and the CROB campus. I enrolled because my father told me I could go there and he would pay tuition, or go somehwhere else and I would. It was a no-brainer, as I had no money whatsoever.
I don't know if I could have enrolled at Ann Arbor, for I had major surgery in my freshman year in HS and my grades suffered. I likely could have transfered into AA after two years at Flint, but I met my future wife there and my path was set, as she is much more important than the prestige of AA. I got my degree and went to UM AA for grad school, and later med school at the UM way down south (YTM.)
I do tell people that I graduated from UM-Flint; that is on my CV. I donate money to UM-Flint, not Ann Arbor. I love Ann Arbor, my son is finishing off his Masters there following his BSE last year, and I consider both schools my collegiate home (but not YTM.) I am not ashamed to any extent of my degrees. Are the schools different? Of course, as UM-Flint still has a large commuter and older student population, and a goal of servicing these students in a cost-effective manner. I would bet that the students generally come from poorer backgrounds, often blue-collar, and often working their way through school as I did. The drop out rate is much higher as a result. I found my professors much better teachers at the expense of not having much ability to mentor research. UM AA is a much more research-intense environment, with more higher-level high school applicants, with a lot of classes taught by TAs of varying ability and interest. The best students at Flint are equal with the best at AA, (and I have/do know many extremely smart and talented individuals), but as others have pointed out there are greater number of the best in AA overall.
I now live and work in Ohio. For 99.9% of Ohio I am merely the Michigan fan from up north. I consider myself a Michigan grad. They don't care from which campus I got my degree, or even know of the existance of satellite campuses, just like most Michiganders don't know all the OSU campuses. As far as work goes the name on your undergrad parchment does not have a lot of advantage for many, perhaps most, jobs. As soon as you get into college your HS diploma is nearly forgotten, and when you get into grad/professional school your undergrad degree soon loses value, and when you get a job only your effort , drive, and results have long-lasting meaning (unless you are named Jeb). I could not tell you where 95% of my residents did their undergrad, but I know where they finished Med School.
Rambling over.
Seeing it called "The CROB" made me smile. It's had another name for several years, but to me, it was The CROB when I first walked into it in the fall of '78, and it will be until I die.
And all the math and science classes were in the Mott Memorial Building - and if you missed the shuttle bus, you were screwed.
And I'll second your description of a large portion of the student body at UM-Flint, because I was one of them: a kid from a blue-collar family who parents told him that of course he could go to college - as long as he could find a way to pay for it. (Which he did, with a combination of grants and part-time jobs.) And after two years, when the decision to transfer to AA presented itself, I thought, why? The tuition was going to be more expensive, and finding housing would be a chore. I was studying to be a teacher, and my course of study (B.A. in English, with a dual minor in Education and History) was already being covered by professors whom I liked and respected. There were more reasons to stay than to go, so I stayed.
I'll sometimes get a pang of regret that I didn't transfer when I see some AA-specific reference on here, like their favorite sandwich at Zingerman's or that one time at Ashley's. But then, these people didn't experience the simple beauty of Hat's Pub or the masterpiece that was a cheese deluxe with olives at Halo Burger - so I guess we're even.