Michigan URP Admissions

noreply@blogger.com (beverlyw) — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 18:44:00 +0000

To answer a few questions we have been getting:

Q: Does coming to the Open House signify that you are committing to Michigan?
A: Absolutely not! This is your chance to meet and talk with our faculty and current students, learn about our program and see the Ann Arbor campus .

Q: Are Thursday events mandatory?
A: Optional. We realize many of you will arrive late on Thursday but if you can arrive early enough to attend the lecture and/or spaghetti dinner, please let us know.

Q: When do most prospective students leave?
A: Saturday late afternoon or evening.

Q: What does the tour of Detroit include?
A: It’s an up-close look at the history, architecture and new development in Michigan’s urban center. Highlights include downtown, the riverfront and Eastern Market. Bring your camera! A free box lunch is included (yes, we’ll have veggie options). The tour is led by Eric Dueweke. Eric serves as the Community Partnerships Manager for the University of Michigan’s Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning. He is a lifelong Detroit resident. A few current MUP students will also be on the bus for any questions you have. Transportation is by UM bus.

If you are catching a flight back late Saturday afternoon or early evening, you can be dropped at the airport on the way back to Ann Arbor at 3:30pm.

Q: What is the dress?
A: Student casual

Q: What is the weather in Ann Arbor?
A: Typically is varies a lot this time of year. Averages for those dates are: High of 53F and low of 33F.

Q: Do I need to bring bedding i.e. sleeping bag, pillow or blanket?
A: Consult with your home-stay host. If you have requested a home-stay you will receive your contact shortly.

Remember to RSVP for Open house AND Tour of Detroit to Beverly Walter beverlyw@umich.edu
If you are interested in a home-stay, email Jaimie Cohen at cohen.jaimie@gmail.com.

PS: FYI http://www.tcaup.umich.edu/updates/2009/03/taubman-college-awarded-dow.html

Open House Schedule April 3-4, 2009

noreply@blogger.com (beverlyw) — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 19:53:00 +0000

Here is the Open House Schedule for April 3-4, 2009.
We hope you can attend! Please RSVP to Beverly Walter (beverlyw@umich.edu).

Open House Schedule 2009 (pdf, 72Kb)

Admission decisions will be posted online by Feb. 20, 2009

noreply@blogger.com (beverlyw) — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 20:55:00 +0000

We are in the final stages of reviewing applications that were completed by January 15, 2009. Decisions will be posted online later this week. Letters will follow by email and U.S. mail. If you have requested that we consider you for program aid, that decision will be included in the mailing.

If you haven’t checked the Web App Status system to confirm that your application is complete, please do so now. Applications not complete at this time will be reviewed once complete.

TO VERIFY YOUR APPLICATION DATA AND STATUS ONLINE FOLLOW THESE DIRECTIONS:
You will need to use a login ID and password, and confirm some personal data before viewing your application data.
For applicants who are current students or employees: Log into Wolverine Access using your existing UMICH uniqname login and click New and Prospective Student Business. For applicants new to the University: This is a 2-step process.
Create a U-M Friend Account (a secure login) Use the following URL: https://friend.weblogin.umich.edu/friend/ Note: If you have questions about creating a U-M Friend Account, use the following URL for detailed instructions: http://www.itd.umich.edu/itcsdocs/s4316
Log into Wolverine Access (U-M administrative services) After you create your U-M Friend Account, use the following URL to view your application data: http://wolverineaccess.umich.edu/ and click New and Prospective Student Business. You will need your U-M ID number (see paragraph one) in order to access Wolverine Access.
Note: The Web App Status system enables you to verify your data, check the status of your application, update your e-mail address, home address, and telephone number.

Fall and Spring Open Houses

noreply@blogger.com (beverlyw) — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 20:24:00 +0000

Our fall Open House was held November 7th for current UM students and prospective students in the area. Fifty UM students came from a variety of programs across campus including: Ross School of Business, Political Science, Economics, History, Architecture, Ecology & Environmental Biology, Landscape Architecture, Mechanical Engineering, School of Natural Resources & the Environment, Ford School of Public Policy, History of Art, the Residential College, etc. Also attending were students from Marygrove College, Wayne State University, and Eastern Michigan University.

The spring Open House is designed for newly admitted students for fall 2009. This year it will be held April 3-4. To get an idea of the events we plan, see this link for the April 2008 schedule. The 2009 schedule will be posted in March.
Open%20House%20Schedule%202008.pdf

Open House Event

noreply@blogger.com (beverlyw) — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 18:45:00 +0000

We are holding an Open House for current UM undergrads and grad students considering a dual degree. Prospective students in the area are also welcome to attend.

I liked it so much, I decided to stay...

noreply@blogger.com (beverlyw) — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 17:32:00 +0000

My name is Tom Skuzinski, and two years ago I was in your shoes: getting ready for orientation as a MUPpet (though I didn't know we called ourselves MUPpets at that point) and hoping that I had made the right decision. I remember thinking that two more years of school was going to feel like forever, and I stayed sane by reminding myself that soon enough I'd be graduating and then heading off to make my mark in the world.

Fast forward to Fall 2008, and I'm once again preparing for orientation, except that now I'm getting ready to start as a Doctoral student in Urban + Regional Planning. Those two years that I thought would "feel like forever"? Well, they'll now be stretched out by another 3-4 years. The funny thing is, I couldn't be happier about that prospect, and I can't think of a department, university, or city that I'd rather call home during this next chapter in my life. Today, I wanted to add my own perspective to this blog on why you'll probably end up feeling the same way, even if you stay here just two years.

I'll start with the city and university, which are pretty much tied at the hip in most cases (and that's a good thing). I don't know if Ann Arbor is the perfect college town, but I do know that as a student you'll find it's darn near impossible not to figure out a way to be happy. Clearly the sports fanatic will be thrilled to live here. Sure, you have football at the Big House and some awesome college hockey come winter, but you also have Detroit nearby, which is great for an outing to a Tigers or Red Wings or Pistons game (I can't in good conscience encourage anyone to become a Lions fan). And culture addicts will be surprised at the performers drawn to a city this size. The college's University Musical Society always puts on an amazing season, and students can get half price tickets (last year I saw the San Francisco Philharmonic for $10 and moved down to the third row after intermission--not a bad deal!). Plus you have all the Ann Arbor venues, like The Ark and Blind Pig (my personal favorites). Add in a million or so university clubs, a ton of genuinely great bars/restaurants/coffeehouses serving just about everything, great neighborhoods like Kerrytown (with its Farmer's Market and cobblestone streets and heavy grad student population), and plenty of open space (check out Nichol's Arboretum, Gallup Park, and the sports fields off Fuller Road), and you can see why UM/Ann Arbor will be sure to give you a life outside of TCAUP and your apartment.

But the fact is, you will be spending a LOT of your time studying, reading, writing, talking to/listening to professors, and hanging out in the MUP cage (our personal computer lab). TCAUP will feel like a second home sometimes, and the leather couches like a second bed. That's right: being a grad student isn't easy, and sometimes it can be downright frustrating (that inevitable group project all nighter, the last minute paper, the GIS assignment that ate your weekend). But, hopefully, you already expected that. What you might not expect are that the tough moments, while they seem huge at the time, are far outweighed by all the wonderful experiences and amazing people you'll get to know during your two years here. I can say this with the advantage of hindsight, but I also found I felt that way during the program. The professors here, at least the many I've known, are beyond friendly and approachable--they treat you like colleagues. For example, I was offered a research position that directly related to my area of concentration (housing and economic development), and most of my friends also had opportunities to supplement coursework with these kind of hands-on, involved experiences--the sort that set you apart in the real world. You've probably heard the saying that something "is what you make of it"--well, that couldn't be more true of your time at UM. If you stay connected and proactive you'll find many opportunities, whether attending conferences, exploring other cities here and abroad, volunteering, serving on a school or university committee, working on Agora (our departmental journal), being a research or teaching assistant, having a spring break internship, etc.

You'll also find that your group of fellow classmates, though relatively small in number, is populated by peers who are genuinely good people from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences. These will be your future colleagues and, most importantly, some of them will become your lifelong friends. You'll find that by interacting with them, you come to a better understanding of your own special abilities, and who you want to be once you're working as an urban planner.

Two years ago, I never would have thought that a doctoral program would be the right fit for me. I had other ideas of how I wanted to contribute to the world. But a few semesters later, and I find myself headed in a different, and ultimately better, direction. That's the kind of impact graduate school should have on you. It shouldn't simply mold you, but should instead seek to equip you with the tools to help you navigate your own, unique path. That's what the difference is at U of M, that's why I'm so glad that I'll be continuing my education in this department, and that's why I'm confident that coming here is the right decision for you.

I hope to see many of you at the 2008 orientation and at the orientations in the next few years. Whether you're reading this as a committed MUPpet or someone simply considering the program among many other choices, I hope this entry has been of some help. Feel free to contact me at skuzinsk@umich.edu if you have any other questions.

Best regards,
Tom Skuzinski

Fall 2008 Class Schedule

noreply@blogger.com (beverlyw) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 15:13:00 +0000

Here is the class schedule for fall 2008. Stacey Shimones will be emailing materials for Registration and Orientation around the first week of July. Registration takes place at Orientation, August 28th. It is important that you talk with one of your advisors before you register.

Fall 2008 Time Schedule.pdf

Tools to help in your decision

noreply@blogger.com (beverlyw) — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 21:40:00 +0000

To answer common questions at this time in the admissions cycle:

Cost of Living
To calculate your cost of living in different cities you are considering moving to:
http://www.inflationdata.com/Inflation/Cost_of_Living/Cost_of_Living_Calculator.asp

Michigan Urban Planning Tuition for Fall 07-Winter 08 was:
• Michigan resident, per term (9 or more credit hours): $9,352
• Nonresident, per term (9 or more credit hours): $14,870
Tuition is set annually by the Regents of the University of Michigan in July.
For estimated student budgets see: http://www.finaid.umich.edu/Financial_Aid_Basics/cost.asp

To view a 19 page document on financial aid tips see: http://www.tcaup.umich.edu/urp/finaidresources307.pdf

For a college savings calculator go to http://www.mortgageloan.com/calculator/college-savings.

Housing
Scott made a few comments on finding housing. I also wanted to send you the link of a housing document prepared by an ’06 MUP grad that many have found helpful. http://www.tcaup.umich.edu/urp/annarborhousing.pdf

Talk with your advisor!
You were assigned two provisional advisors in your letter of admission. They are anxious to answer your questions about our program, concentrations, their research, etc. They will be in touch with you if they haven’t already but please feel free to email them and arrange a time to talk by phone.

Talking with current students
Let me know if you want to contact current students in your area of interest in urban planning. Our students are always interested in talking with prospective students and to share their experiences.

Once you have made your decision
It is important to enter it online so that other student services offices are aware of your decision. Please go to Wolverine Access at: http://wolverineaccess.umich.edu/ Click on NEW & PROSPECTIVE STUDENT BUSINESS and enter your decision on your web application status “Student Reply.”

Sports!
Scott Curry mentioned in his blog about the hockey team. Starting tomorrow, April 10th – 12th the University of Michigan Ice Hockey Team is playing in the NCAA Frozen Four Tournament in Denver. If you are interested, see: http://mgoblue.com/ice-hockey/article.aspx?id=133250

Please let us know if you have any questions and good luck with your decision!

Beverly

2nd Year

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah R.) — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 01:31:00 +0000

Y'all, I sat down to write this blog about my Capstone project, but I'm going to tell you about working on Agora instead. Capstone's coming soon, but here's something different, for now.

Last year, a group of students launched Agora, the Urban Planning Journal of the University of Michigan -- it was the brainchild of Kelsey Johnson ('07). It's our peer-reviewed journal, consisting of student (and alumni/ae) submissions for articles and images. I wasn't involved with it last year, although I was interested in it. This fall, I joined the staff, and was interested in the image and layout side. Scott, whose posts you're also reading, was one of the people I spent a lot of time working with this winter, particularly in the last month or two. After the editing staff had started soliciting for journal articles, we began to send out emails requesting that people submit images to a Flickr.com site. Although we were reviewing images as they were submitted, we waited until the articles were chosen to start making final decisions in order to best pair images with articles. All of the images we received were stellar, and while we weren't able to use all of them, we were impressed with what amazing photographers urban planners & urban designers are! Not all of the images we chose to use were paired with articles, although many were.

The first issue of Agora didn't have too many images, and we were striving to create a journal with more visual impact this year, matching the quality of the articles with equally strong photos. This year, we dedicated several pages to full-page image spreads, and adjusted the layout to make images stand out more within the text. Scott took the lead on layout, with help from James McMurray, the managing editor. While they discussed margins and whatnot, I was setting images into text and onto the full-page spreads. Towards the end, we were putting in some long hours, and things were getting pretty nit-picky. We sent Agora to the printers on 18 March, and received a proof on 20 March, and it was pretty incredible. The feeling of pride was not unlike (but less intense) than when I bound my completed senior thesis at Bryn Mawr. We're having the release party on 4 April (next Friday) and those of you who will be at the open house will see it live. I can only speak for myself, but I think it's a great issue, and I hope y'all agree.

More soon. Take care.

crunch time

noreply@blogger.com (spcurry) — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 15:22:00 +0000

The last three weeks of the semester are looming and it’s time to buckle down with projects and papers. After three months of working through extra-curricula design competitions, student journal editing, internship applications, and urban planning student association events, I’m finally feeling like I have my head slightly above water and I’m not being dragged along by the pace of the semester anymore. This is a very good thing considering what my next three weeks look like. I’m in three project intensive classes this semester (UP 504, UP 505, and UP 518) with the final projects in each due within 72 hours of each other later in April. My horoscope is calling for lots of late evenings and stressful weekends followed by an incredible opportunity for release at the end of April when I will be trekking to Vegas with a group of fellow students to the 2008 American Planning Association Nat’l Conference. I’ve gone to the conferences twice before and it has always been a fantastic time. I expect no less out of the Vegas experience.

In other news, I bought football tix last week! Incoming students don’t hyperventilate – you will probably receive info about ticket purchasing information shortly. If you can’t wait, check www.mgoblue.com to figure out exactly when and how you can pick them up. I just bought mine online last year. One quick plug – Do make a point to buy football season tix. Hockey and basketball are pretty entertaining as well, but if you miss out on the football games it would be the single biggest mistake of your Michigan experience. Regardless of whether you are a football fan, The Big House feeling and game day atmosphere is incredible, and you don’t need to be a football junkie to enjoy it. One caveat – last season I noticed that 100+ years of awesome football tradition seems to have bred a certain degree of “fairweatherness” (?real word?) and lack of fervor (i.e. leaving in the third quarter/booing your own team) among many fans. This is probably unavoidable when you pack 110,000 people into a single stadium, but I’m hoping for a better general attitude among fans this year because of the buzz going on with coaching changes, a shift in playing style, and some fresh blood on the field.

Some more sports related things to expect when you get to Ann Arbor. Hockey is huge! Hockey fans are hard-core, passionate, knowledgeable, and fairly insane. I was blown away by the atmosphere around the hockey games. They are a blast.

On to some more potentially useful things…
Living arrangements – don’t freak out about these. Finding housing late is not terribly difficult. While undergrads start freaking out about houses in November, grad students will typically start looking for people to fill their rooms much later. I know I’m gonna need around 4 people to fill my house and I haven’t even really started to look yet. One word of advice – it will be much cheaper for you if you are willing to live with some other people (obviously). Last year I moved into a house with 7 people who I didn’t know and it has worked out great! Can’t promise the same results, but if nothing else living with others certainly makes paying Michigan tuition a little more manageable. As far as location – you will have to decide whether you want to be close to North Campus (much closer to A+A building where all your classes will be, but relatively desolate in terms of social opportunity and lively urban environments) or Central Campus (probably slightly more expensive, again unless you are willing to live with a bunch of people, but has the definite benefit of placing squarely in the midst of AA’s social scene from the diag to downtown). I went with the Central Campus options, and it has been great. I have to catch a bus to class every day (which really isn’t a huge hassle in AA), but I think my weekend activities have been far more stimulating than if I had lived up north.

Until next time…

Why study urban and regional planning at Michigan?

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan Levine) — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 22:45:00 +0000

This is probably the question that I'm asked most frequently during this season. One way to answer this question is to explain what the mission statement for our program means to the faculty, students and staff here. Mission statements are supposed to be compact; I'm not sure we met that goal, but if we had explained all the important phrases, it would have been much longer. I'd like to try and expand a bit with the benefit of a little color coding. Key phrases are highlighted below in color, and a few words about each follow the mission statement in the same color.

"Planning at Michigan seeks to shape place-based policy and design for social and racial equity; regionalist solutions to metropolitan problems; just and effective remedies for urban decline; and the creation of human settlements that offer alternatives to environmentally consumptive land-development patterns.

The Urban and Regional Planning Program at the University of Michigan educates students for change-oriented leadership in the planning profession and academy; conducts research informed by a commitment to improve the fairness, prosperity, and environmental and social sustainability of neighborhoods, cities, regions, and megaregions; and serves the academic and broader communities in ways that harness the skills and commitments of its faculty, students, and staff.

In our teaching we strive for a productive balance between theory and practice; between classroom-based and hands-on learning; and between a well-founded core and in-depth specializations. We foster ongoing research, teaching, and service interchange with other units in the Taubman College and the University of Michigan; with our region, and the City of Detroit in particular; and worldwide."

***
Place based: We focus on the quality of life, the sustainability, and the equity of PLACES, ranging in scale from the neighborhood to the megaregion. Our link to place and the built environment is the glue that binds us to the other fields in the Taubman College: architecture and urban design.

Policy and design: These are the two major tools by which planning affects place. They are co-equal, complementary, and vital approaches.

Social and racial equity; regionalist solutions to metropolitan problems; just and effective remedies for urban decline; and the creation of human settlements that offer alternatives to environmentally consumptive land-development patterns: Michigan Planning does not shy away from value-laden analysis of problems. We are not neutral scientists, but professionals and scholars whose normative commitments inform our research, teaching, and service.

Change-oriented leadership, theory and practice: We do not seek to administer the status quo more efficiently, but seek to develop the perspectives that can support fundamental changes in cities, regions, and planning processes. I find that within three to five years of graduation, our alumni are in positions of significant planning leadership. We believe that this leadership is best served by an education based on a mix of nuts-and-bolts planning and broader theoretical understandings (and criticisms of) cities, regions, and planning processes.

Hands-on learning: We learn planning in large part by doing planning. Planning at Michigan creates rich opportunities for applied planning in studios, internships, and individual projects.

A well-founded core and in-depth specializations: Our core, or set of required course, is our best statement of the material that every urban and regional planner should know. We purposely keep this to a minimum to allow for specialization through our concentrations and elective courses.

I think that you'll find faculty, students, and staff here who are excited by what they're doing and by the opportunities Michigan Planning offers. I hope to speak with you more about our program. Please contact Beverly Walter (beverlyw) to set up an appointment, either in person or over the phone.

Sincerely
Jonathan Levine
Professor and Chair of Urban and Regional Planning

Another Introduction

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah R.) — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 01:30:00 +0000

Hi, my name is Sarah Ross, I'm a second-year Master's student in the Urban and Regional Planning program. I'll be writing mostly about my experiences with job hunting and completing my degree -- which, right now, largely consists of my Capstone project. Although these are forefront in my mind lately, I've also been involved with the 2nd issue of Agora, the URP student journal, and for the calendar year of 2007, I served as social co-chair for the Urban Planning Students Association.

To tell you a little more about myself, I was raised outside of DC in Fairfax, Virginia and did my undergraduate degree at Bryn Mawr College (PA). My undergraduate major was Growth and Structure of Cities -- basically, urban planning and urban studies with some architecture thrown in. My concentration at Michigan is Physical Planning and Urban Design, but I'm fascinated by transportation systems and am looking to go into transit planning as a career. Beyond school, I love baking, the Washington Nationals, having dinner parties and travelling.

More soon. Take care, y'all.

in the beginning

noreply@blogger.com (spcurry) — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 19:17:00 +0000

I’ve never “blogged” before or really been asked to share my experiences in this kind of format, so please forgive me if I happen to make some kind of serious breach of web etiquette. My name is Scott Curry. I’m a first year student in the Masters of Urban Planning Program at Michigan. I’m 22 years old. I’m from West Lafayette, IN. I did my unergrad at Ball State University in Urban Planning and Development. I enjoy photography, basketball, checking out new urban environments, cooking, and cold IPA’s.

Now that the awkward introductions are taken care of I can move along to what this blog is supposed to be about which, if I understand correctly, is pretty much whatever I care to write about.

Ground rules:
1.- It is not my intention in the content of my postings to misrepresent, in any manner, the URP program at Michigan, individuals who I might talk about in the blog, or (most importantly) myself. In other words, I’m shooting off the cuff here. So if someone gets the wrong impression about something because of something I’ve written please don’t crucify me for it.
2. - It is also not my intention to spend a ton of time proofing postings for grammatical accuracy. As I understand it this is meant to be informal – which is good because otherwise I really wouldn’t want to write it and you (if there is a “you” out there) wouldn’t want to read it.

Diving in then…It’s the start of a new week, and the thing that I am least interested in talking about is school. Today happens to be the day that football tix go on sale for returning students, St. Patty’s day (which I won’t be celebrating because of a bit too much merriment this past weekend), and also the start of my favorite time of year – March Madness. I’ve got NC, GTown, Texas, and UConn in my final four. (I can’t change a posting once it’s submitted, or at least I don’t think so, so in three weeks when my bracket is torn to shreds feel free to refer back to these predictions and laugh) NC over Texas by 16.

If you’re wondering why U of M isn’t included in this list it’s because we had a…mmm… “less than stellar” season this year under first year coach John Beilein. (Our program chair, Jonathan Levine, probably could have walked-on at one point in the year when we only had something like 8 active players on the roster) Hopefully with the addition of Coach Beilein’s buddy from West Virgina, Rich Rodriguez, to the Michigan athletic family next year, John and the team will be a little more inspired. By the way, if you happen to be a WVU alum, student, or fan – Don’t hate us. We’re sorry.

Until next time…

Welcome to the Urban Planning Admissions Blog!

noreply@blogger.com (beverlyw) — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 19:06:00 +0000

Hi, I’m Beverly Walter, Admissions Coordinator for Urban Planning M.U.P. and the Graduate Real Estate Certificate. We would like to give you an inside look at the admissions process and answer questions that tend to come up at each stage in the process. I will be providing updates and information on the Open House scheduled for April 4-5. We are also offering this blog as a way for students interested in applying to the M.U.P. Program and/or the Real Estate Certificate to learn more about the process.
You will also be hearing from a few of our current students about their experiences, as well as from Prof. and Chair Jonathan Levine.
If you have any questions you would like addressed on the blog, email me at: beverlyw@umich.edu or call me at 734 763-3075.