Michigan 1Ls/2Ls/3Ls taking questions Forum

[buckilaw]

Is there a link to historical tuition costs at Michigan? Or historical tuition increases? Or does anyone know by what % tuition tends to increase by each year?

I think the board of regents routinely ups tuition 3-4% a year. It sucks but I think most schools up tuition every year since they know that law students are lemmings.

[AreJay711]

Thanks for the info. Do you usually have time to make it to the gym or do you really have to try to make time for it?

There is always time to go if you want to. Law school isn't that busy -- or at least doesn't need to be that busy -- but there is several hours of reading a night.

[iThwl]

.

[portaprokoss]

Bringing spouse thus not staying in hotel but I'm cool with paying for parking. Thanks!

Uhh...they will pay for your spouse to stay in a hotel with you. Just ask admissions. I brought my wife last year and they 1) paid for the hotel, 2) reimbursed us a few hundred bucks for travel (i had a receipt for my gas, iirc), and 3) gave us a voucher for a meal at the hotel.

Contact the admissions department and ask for these things.

[UnamSanctam]

Is there a link to historical tuition costs at Michigan? Or historical tuition increases? Or does anyone know by what % tuition tends to increase by each year?

You may have already found the answer by now, but here's the link. It only covers 1950-2009, though.

Bringing spouse thus not staying in hotel but I'm cool with paying for parking. Thanks!

Uhh...they will pay for your spouse to stay in a hotel with you. Just ask admissions. I brought my wife last year and they 1) paid for the hotel, 2) reimbursed us a few hundred bucks for travel (i had a receipt for my gas, iirc), and 3) gave us a voucher for a meal at the hotel.

Contact the admissions department and ask for these things.

The preview weekend info this year says:

And because space is limited, we are unable to provide rooms for guests other than admitted students.

Oh, and they're not offering travel stipends. Sounds like you went to an ASW during a good year.

[03121202698008]

Bringing spouse thus not staying in hotel but I'm cool with paying for parking. Thanks!

Uhh...they will pay for your spouse to stay in a hotel with you. Just ask admissions. I brought my wife last year and they 1) paid for the hotel, 2) reimbursed us a few hundred bucks for travel (i had a receipt for my gas, iirc), and 3) gave us a voucher for a meal at the hotel.

Contact the admissions department and ask for these things.

My guess is you were a darrow. They don't pay anything for mere mortals.

[portaprokoss]

Bringing spouse thus not staying in hotel but I'm cool with paying for parking. Thanks!

Uhh...they will pay for your spouse to stay in a hotel with you. Just ask admissions. I brought my wife last year and they 1) paid for the hotel, 2) reimbursed us a few hundred bucks for travel (i had a receipt for my gas, iirc), and 3) gave us a voucher for a meal at the hotel.

Contact the admissions department and ask for these things.

The preview weekend info this year says:

And because space is limited, we are unable to provide rooms for guests other than admitted students.

Oh, and they're not offering travel stipends. Sounds like you went to an ASW during a good year.

That's absurd. Space limited? It's no more limited than any other year, unless they're inviting a lot more people because they expect a shitty yield. (But perhaps their yield is shitty b/c they're being cheap-asses re: ASW?)

I love Michigan and it was the right choice for me. But frankly, I would not have visited or accepted if they had not paid for my visit. ASW is nothing more than a sales pitch, and who in their right mind would pay to hear a sales pitch? I would contact the admissions department directly. If you're admitted to other school that provide allowance or reimbursement and allows spouses, I would say so: "Cornell, Virginia, Penn, and Chicago are willing to help me with expenses. Why should I consider a school that is not willing help me out?"

This reminds me of how I had to specifically request that my seat deposit be credited toward my tuition (it's supposed to happen automatically). Really? You make how many hundred of thousands of dollars off of each student, and yet you try to bilk them if the opportunity arises. I don't know; perhaps that kind of stuff happens at every school.

[03121202698008]

Bringing spouse thus not staying in hotel but I'm cool with paying for parking. Thanks!

Uhh...they will pay for your spouse to stay in a hotel with you. Just ask admissions. I brought my wife last year and they 1) paid for the hotel, 2) reimbursed us a few hundred bucks for travel (i had a receipt for my gas, iirc), and 3) gave us a voucher for a meal at the hotel.

Contact the admissions department and ask for these things.

The preview weekend info this year says:

And because space is limited, we are unable to provide rooms for guests other than admitted students.

Oh, and they're not offering travel stipends. Sounds like you went to an ASW during a good year.

That's absurd. Space limited? It's no more limited than any other year, unless they're inviting a lot more people because they expect a shitty yield. (But perhaps their yield is shitty b/c they're being cheap-asses re: ASW?)

I love Michigan and it was the right choice for me. But frankly, I would not have visited or accepted if they had not paid for my visit. ASW is nothing more than a sales pitch, and who in their right mind would pay to hear a sales pitch? I would contact the admissions department directly. If you're admitted to other school that provide allowance or reimbursement and allows spouses, I would say so: "Cornell, Virginia, Penn, and Chicago are willing to help me with expenses. Why should I consider a school that is not willing help me out?"

This reminds me of how I had to specifically request that my seat deposit be credited toward my tuition (it's supposed to happen automatically). Really? You make how many hundred of thousands of dollars off of each student, and yet you try to bilk them if the opportunity arises. I don't know; perhaps that kind of stuff happens at every school.

They didn't pay two years ago except for Darrows. I think you're the strong exception here... Also, your seat deposit doesn't necessarily apply to tuition. It shows as a credit in your student account and should have been refunded with your student loans. There are some tax reasons for this as well as people, like us veterans, who have specific rules about what their benefits can be applied to.

[JustE]

It can't hurt to ask. I'm sure they make exceptions. Just depends on your demographic/scores/etc.

Good luck.

[portaprokoss]

They didn't pay two years ago except for Darrows. I think you're the strong exception here... Also, your seat deposit doesn't necessarily apply to tuition. It shows as a credit in your student account and should have been refunded with your student loans. There are some tax reasons for this as well as people, like us veterans, who have specific rules about what their benefits can be applied to.

I don't care what should happen, I care what actually happened to me. I know of at least one other person on this board who had an identical experience.

Every tentative should ask for a travel stipend. If they are denied, they should ask why. If the school doesn't care enough about recruiting an individual to offer him or her the stipend or expenses, the person should know that and consider it when deciding if that school is right for them.

In my opinion, people should choose a school because it's a good fit. You can only know if a school is a good fit after visiting multiple schools because you need a basis of comparison. This is expensive. Schools should bear the cost, not foist it onto applicants. "We don't pay unless we decide to pay" is not a reason or a justification for not paying, it's just the state of affairs. Michigan has no reason to start paying unless people make a fuss.

More will visit if Michigan pays. More visits lead to more informed decisions. More informed decisions lead to a happier, better student body.

[UnamSanctam]

And when Michigan pays for travel and guests, who ends up paying for that?

[portaprokoss]

And when Michigan pays for travel and guests, who ends up paying for that?

The same way it does at most other top schools. It's paid for by a better, happier, more informed student body.

[03121202698008]

They didn't pay two years ago except for Darrows. I think you're the strong exception here... Also, your seat deposit doesn't necessarily apply to tuition. It shows as a credit in your student account and should have been refunded with your student loans. There are some tax reasons for this as well as people, like us veterans, who have specific rules about what their benefits can be applied to.

I don't care what should happen, I care what actually happened to me. I know of at least one other person on this board who had an identical experience.

Every tentative should ask for a travel stipend. If they are denied, they should ask why. If the school doesn't care enough about recruiting an individual to offer him or her the stipend or expenses, the person should know that and consider it when deciding if that school is right for them.

In my opinion, people should choose a school because it's a good fit. You can only know if a school is a good fit after visiting multiple schools because you need a basis of comparison. This is expensive. Schools should bear the cost, not foist it onto applicants. "We don't pay unless we decide to pay" is not a reason or a justification for not paying, it's just the state of affairs. Michigan has no reason to start paying unless people make a fuss.

More will visit if Michigan pays. More visits lead to more informed decisions. More informed decisions lead to a happier, better student body.

I understand your point but disagree. We get plenty of good students. I'd rather my tuition not be higher so more people can visit on my dime and not attend. Making people pay serves to weed out those who aren't really committed and likely to be flakes. Why should it be the schools obligation to pay for you to visit just because this makes your choice easier? Should they pay for potential applicants to prep for the LSAT as this would probably contribute in the same way? Should we not require an application fee at all for the same reasons? This is a professional school...we should provide assistance when $ is a true barrier to applying but otherwise the applicant should bear the cost of their own travel. We should be able to assume if you're coming here you did your due diligence. No one person is so special that we need to recruit them...so basically life isn't free, grow up.

[03121202698008]

And when Michigan pays for travel and guests, who ends up paying for that?

The same way it does at most other top schools. It's paid for by a better, happier, more informed student body.

I'd rather not, thanks. The cost of visiting Michigan is considerably cheaper than the schools in big cities. They are providing subsidized lodging for you. If your spouse needs to come, not my problem.

[46nyc]

I would rather pay to make a more informed decision than only visit schools that reimburse me for visiting and miss out on visiting/attending the one school that I really might love more than all the others.

[UnamSanctam]

I think I have to back Blowhard here.* I'm not sure it's in the best interests of Michigan students to pay for others to get to ASW. It's Michigan; it'll get good students regardless of whether or not travel and guests are credited.


*I'm admittedly biased in this conversation. I live less than half a gas tank from AA and know enough people in the area that my SO and I can both lodge for free.

[03121202698008]

I also don't think you realize how much it'd cost. Even paying $500 per admitted student would be about $350,000 (assuming 700 students...not sure of #s). That's around a $1,000 per student in tuition to subsidize visits. Even if only 350 students visit, that's a $ for $ sponsor of one current student to one visiting.

[JustE]

They are providing subsidized lodging for you. If your spouse needs to come, not my problem.

This. Lodging is $20 a night for students and the meals are paid for. When you add that up, I'm sure they do more than most schools. If you need to bring a guest, check out hotwire.com.

[JustE]

They are providing subsidized lodging for you. If your spouse needs to come, not my problem.

This. Lodging is $20 a night for students and the meals are paid for. When you add that up, I'm sure they do more than most schools. If you need to bring a guest, check out hotwire.com.

ETA: I'm driving 12 hours to make ASW. This will be my second year of road trips as I was waitlisted everywhere last year. If you want it, you'll make it work. If you have an extream need, I'm sure they'll help you (not your significant other).

....edit fail

[UnamSanctam]

Speaking of guests (and this has probably been asked), what events are they not allowed to attend, if any? Are they invited to meals/cocktails?

[03121202698008]

Speaking of guests (and this has probably been asked), what events are they not allowed to attend, if any? Are they invited to meals/cocktails?

There is no clear policy AFIK. Spouses definitely came to the meet & greet cocktail, dinners, social events, and classroom stuff...they clearly have a vested interest in getting to know the other admits. (The meals are all buffet style.) If it's a parent, I'd limit them to classroom stuff as students trend older and it gets awkward. The important thing is to not let the guest get in the way of socializing with the other admitted students.

[JDizzle2015]

I think most of us applicants are just happy to have to opportunity to go.

Sure, it'd be nice if they paid for us but I definitely don't feel entitled to a free visit (and I'd wager that most of the admitted students feel the same way) so why pay for everyone's trip when they can just subsidize part of it?

[portaprokoss]

...so basically life isn't free, grow up.

And when Michigan pays for travel and guests, who ends up paying for that?

The same way it does at most other top schools. It's paid for by a better, happier, more informed student body.

I'd rather not, thanks.

Go Wolverines! lol

Obviously the administration at Michigan would agree with you. But the administrations at other schools would disagree. You're paying for it one way or another, the issue is at what point do you want to pay. I'd rather students pay on the back-end, after making an informed decision that's not limited by financial concerns. You'd rather prospectives pay up front, perhaps limiting their means of making a more informed choice.

You frame the issue as "paying for flakes" and "it's cheaper to visit here than a big city school." Well, it's the admission department's problem if they're admitting a bunch of shady flakes. And as far as the costs of visiting at different schools, it's ZERO if the school is paying for it. Bringing a spouse along is important, since, you know, they will be there for 3 years too.

[UnamSanctam]

Speaking of guests (and this has probably been asked), what events are they not allowed to attend, if any? Are they invited to meals/cocktails?

There is no clear policy AFIK. Spouses definitely came to the meet & greet cocktail, dinners, and classroom stuff...as they clearly have a vested interest. (The meals are all buffet style.) If it's a parent, I'd limit them to classroom stuff as students trend older and it gets awkward. The important thing is to not let the guest get in the way of socializing with the other admitted students.

I figured it was probably this way. Did you actually see anyone bring their parents to ASW? I mean my parents are die-hard Michigan fans, but I can't imagine taking them.

[portaprokoss]

Speaking of guests (and this has probably been asked), what events are they not allowed to attend, if any? Are they invited to meals/cocktails?

They can come to everything. But if there is a seating shortage they should probably leave for that event (this only happened once).