Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, MI, USA

Reviews

Central Michigan University

Samantha from White Cloud, MI

a current student here
22 people found this review useful
CategoriesComments
Am learning a lot
Having only been at Central Michigan University for a year, I feel like I have learned so much. Not only are students taught so much in the classroom, they learn through volunteering and getting involved on campus.
Am enjoying being here
I absolutely LOVE being at Central! All of the people that I have met have been so friendly, and willing to help. I really like the big campus feel on the campus itself. The campus is beautiful, and there is so much that a student can do to get involved.
Bang for the buck
Although Central Michigan University isn't the cheapest, or most expensive school in Michigan, it is quite expensive. Overall though, I think going to Central is definitely worth it. Students get into sports events for free, as well as many events on campus. There are always free giveaway, free food, and things to do.
Great for these types of students
Not to be cliche, but I think that Central Michigan University would be a good school for any type of student. There are always events and activities going on, as well as places for students to study and get schoolwork done. There is a warm feeling to campus, of being included. Even though there are over 27,000 students going to Central, it doesn't feel like that many at all.

Shanique from Roseville, MI

a current student here
14 people found this review useful
CategoriesComments
Bang for the buck
It's quite expensive but the amount of education you receive while attending Central Michigan University prepares you or anything in the world.
Tips for prospective students
Best thing to do is to apply for as many scholarships as you can. Central offers scholarships in almost every category. Also like any other college getting a ACT score of 21 and above helps you get perks such as more scholarships an grants offered by the government. If you do attend CMU I would suggest joining some sort of activity. It can be a sorority/fraternity or becoming a Marching Chip like I am. This helps you to get a sense of family on campus. CMU is a very friendly campus and you will find your crowd as soon as you join. Campus life is a blast. There is always something to do on campus. You have performances by comedians, music artist, and magicians in your same building! There is never a dull moment here. FIRE UP CHIPS!
Great for these types of students
Music majors, education majors, and all various humanities majors are the majority of the people I know that attend CMU. CMU really has almost every major. It's something for anyone here.

Jessica from Midland, MI

a current student here
12 people found this review useful
CategoriesComments
Am learning a lot
I thoroughly enjoy all of the classes that I have taken so far at CMU, I really like their University Program that you have to complete to fill your General Education fulfillment. It gives you a chance to learn about things you would have never been able to take because it is not apart of your degree.
Am enjoying being here
CMU is full of Registered Student Organizations, and Extracuriculatory Activities. There is all kinds of fun things to do across campus,
Bang for the buck
The downfall of CMU is that the CMU Promise ended in 2007, and so the price of tuition keeps rising. You're still getting what you paid for, but it is beginning to get more and more costly.
Tips for prospective students
Scholarships are very very helpful, and you need to keep a keen eye on your G.P.A. don't get too carried away in the fun that Central's campus has to offer.
Great for these types of students
Central is great for ALL types of students! More specifically they have a really good Teaching, Theatre, Psychology and Business Programs.

Ashley

a current student here
8 people found this review useful
CategoriesComments
Am learning a lot
My classes have been amazing. All of my professors are enthusiastic about the subjects they teach, which makes learning easy and interesting, and none of my classes have been taught by student assistants. Central also offers an honors program that allows for smaller honors classes and gives priority registration; the honors classes usually have a maximum of 20 to 30 people, allowing for more one on one time with the professor. Also, the professors have mandatory office hours, and they are always willing to help students during those times if someone is struggling. They also are willing to set up meeting times if you are busy during their office hours.
Am enjoying being here
It is amazing to be around people who are all at school in order to actually learn. There is always somewhere to study, whether it be in your room, in the basement of your residence hall, or at the Library. The residence halls set rules for quiet times, around midnight usually, so that it is possible to sleep at a decent hour. Also, Central offers many ways to just have fun and relax. There are free movies, free food, and free events going on around campus all the time. We can access the Student Activity Center for free where we can go swimming, work out, or maybe play Walleyball. I love being in such an academic and fun environment.
Bang for the buck
Central is not the most expensive public college in Michigan, but it is up there. The tuition costs are not that big of a deal, and there are amenities included in the price such as getting into football games for free and having access to the Student Activity Center. The only part of the cost that might be a little excessive comes with the meal plan costs. The dining halls are only open until 7:00 or 7:30 on weekdays and 6:30 on weekends. This makes eating three meals a day difficult sometimes, and having two meals a day is only a couple hundred dollars cheaper. Other than that, the amount of money it costs to go to Central versus the skills and lessons you learn is definitely worth it.
Tips for prospective students
Get involved. Get involved with volunteering, clubs, work, sports, and research. Central offers myriad opportunities for becoming involved, and it makes your experience that much more fun. It is important to get to know other people, and being involved is the best way to do that. College is a great way to meet other people who have the same interests as you, and Central has over 100 registered student organizations that allow for just that. By becoming involved, you can not only make connections with new friends but with professors and advisors who can help you with obtaining your dream career.
Great for these types of students
Central is a fantastic place for students interested in volunteering and undergraduate research. Anytime you feel like donating some of your time, all you have to do is go online to the volunteer website and sign up for upcoming events. You can also join clubs like the Red Cross Club or Invisible Children. You can go to the animal shelter or soup kitchen almost any day of the week. Central offers tremendous opportunities for volunteering. Central also offers a lot of undergraduate research. I met with a professor in my area of study as a freshman, and within a week, I was working with one of his graduate students on research for her thesis. You can become involved in research all over campus if you try, and the professors are willing to help you find exactly what you want to study.

Haley from MT Pleasant, MI

a current student here
5 people found this review useful
CategoriesComments
Am learning a lot
Even though most of my classes are intro (100 level) classes, I feel like I am learning a lot! My professors are all easy to get along with, easy to contact, and easy to approach for help. While each class is taught differently, they all have one thing in common; They are fun!
Am enjoying being here
I am from Mt. Pleasant so CMU is not very far from home. I enjoying my time here, but it is different for me! I live at home so I am not necessarily getting the college experience, but that has nothing to do with Central!
Bang for the buck
Because I go to class every day and make the most of my time, I believe I am getting the most bang for my buck! There are also all sorts of classes you can test out of at Central so you can save even more.
Tips for prospective students
1. Go to class every day. Even if the teacher doesn't take attendance, they can recognize the serious students.
2. Apply for scholarships. Even though Central is cheaper than many colleges, you will need some extra spending money!
3. Look out for bikers on campus!
Great for these types of students
Central is great for ALL types of students!

But be serious about your education!

Lauren from Chelsea, MI

a current student here
5 people found this review useful
CategoriesComments
Am learning a lot
Central has a large variety of majors and offers a variety of classes taught by great professors. All of the classes I have taken so far have been completely worth while, interesting, and well taught. Two that stand out in my mind are Musics of the World and Religions of the World, but a list of all the classes you can take can be found on the academic bulletin under course descriptions (https://bulletins.cmich.edu/). The class sizes are small enough that most professors learn their students' names but large enough that the atmosphere is not too intense. The courses are challenging but realistically so and professors are extremely approachable and helpful when students encounter difficulties. Many classes can also be tested out of and Central accepts 3 scores from all A.P. tests (the tests accepted and credits A.P. scores transfer to can be found on CMU's website). The C.L.E.P. tests and A.P. acceptances from Central make me feel that my previous academic efforts are appreciated instead of making me feel, that because I did not take those classes at Central, my hard work and efforts are not worthy of being recognized.
Am enjoying being here
There are so many things to do on and off of Central's campus. Central has a recognized Student Activity Center (the SAC) that has weight rooms, fitness equipment, a pool, 2 saunas, a huge hot tub, racquetball, basket ball, volleyball and walleyball courts available to be reserved until midnight. The SAC often has many events including a movie in the pool where a movie is shown (most recently Inception) in the pool on a huge screen and students watch it in tubes. Access to the SAC is free to all students and it is open from 7-midnight. There is also intramural sports that students can participate in throughout the year with seasons lasting about 5 weeks each. CMU just recently opened the newest addition to campus, the event center. The event center hosts many sport competitions and recently hosted Ke$ha in February. The event center will be the place for many more speakers, comedians, groups, and artists that students can go see. The residential life at Central is amazing with extremely spacious dorm rooms (some of the biggest in the state, if not the Nation) and GREAT food in 4 different residential restaurants. There are also convenience stores with food like Bosco sticks and personal pizzas that are open until 2 a.m. Though Mt. Pleasant is not downtown Ann Arbor or East Lansing, there are many things to do around the city including going to The Soaring Eagle Casino which gives players $20 on their birthdays (not many college campuses have a casino). Mt. Pleasant has clubs, a movie theater, bowling alleys, shops, and many events on Central's campus. Mount Pleasant is big enough that you can keep yourself occupied but not so big that you will become distracted from school.
Bang for the buck
Central absolutely delivers the most bang for the buck I have ever seen in a school. It is easy to meet many kinds of people and to stay in contact with them because of Central's reasonable size. There are so many pleasant surprises around campus. All students get in free to ALL athletic events (including home football games) with their student I.D. Access to the SAC, one of the nicest activity centers in all of Michigan, is free to all students and so is tutoring services and SafeRides, a service that takes you anywhere you want to go on campus from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. The cafeterias are absolutely beautiful and offer a very large variety of great food everyday, always with multiple choices and the dorms are great. There are so many events and RSOs to get involved in and to meet new people through. Student employment is relatively easy to find as students work in the cafeteria, library, buildings, stores and restaurants located all around campus. There is always an event going on and Central keeps its students well informed through chalk on the sidewalk, flyers, emails, and ads. Such events include plays, athletic events, speakers, bands, and programs put on by Central. Most events are free, and for those that are not, they are almost never more than $5. Central is a school that actually cares about its students and allows them to attend their own sporting events and to use their own gym/ Student Activity Center without charging them.
Tips for prospective students
Visit the website for any questions you have about academic programs, campus life (like dorm rooms, cafeterias, and jobs), and anything else you can think of. The website (cmich.edu) is extremely easy to use. ABSOLUTELY take a campus tour, the tours offered at 10 11 and 12 include lunch inside one of four fabulous cafeterias on campus but tours run all week from 10 to 2. The campus ambassadors (tour guides) are extremely helpful and are some of the most involved and knowledgeable students on campus. Ask questions you will get answers! Central's campus is not one that you hear much about since it is not a top ten school, but the tour is almost always guaranteed to impress as you get to see almost everything you could want on campus (including the awesome dorm rooms)!
Great for these types of students
Students who: want a campus that makes it easy to meet people and to keep in touch with them, do not want to deal with bus systems (CMU is a walking campus that takes 10mins tops to get anywhere on campus, freshmen can also have cars!), want great food in their meal plan, who want a friendly campus, want a month of winter break, want spacious dorm rooms, want a college they can be themselves at, want to get involved, want a realistically sized campus, and who want a real college experience are definitely Chippewa material at CMU!

Caleb from Lowell, MI

a current student here
4 people found this review useful
CategoriesComments
In three sentences
If you are coming to Central Michigan University you should be aware of and research of the multiple residential colleges, honors college, leadership institute, and Mac Scholar programs. Many of these colleges, Business Residential College, Science and Engineering, and Health and Professions to name a few.

Get involved in clubs and student organizations as soon as possible and be social with those in your hall. You won't believe all the new friendships you'll create.
Tips for prospective students
Central Michigan University is a lively and social community of friends, new acquaintances, and mentors. There is always something to do whether on campus or off campus in student organizations or at our local club. You will certainly feel welcome here, just get out and enjoy yourself!
Academic Rigor
CMU prides itself on its academics. Many of the teachers here are very involved with their students and welcome students to get help. The honors program is well known and the advising and classes are the best on campus and have a lot more to offer than other colleges. Academics here is certainly a priority and, for the most part, strong.
Dorm Life
Dorm life is not bad, but not great either. It's hit or miss regarding how much your dorm forms a community and some rooms are set up poorly, such as a big room and a small room, which can create conflict with potential roommates. It's not cramped and the heat works, but it can become stuffy do to only on vent in the entire dorm and it's in the bathroom.
Food and Dining
There is something new in the cafeterias everyday and offer dessert and 6 different main food option in addition to fruit, salad, and self-made sandwiches. The food, for the most part, is cooked well and not burnt or undercooked. You can become tired of it though since its Gordons Food Service and we all know they are not exactly the home cooking we used to be used to.
What to do for fun
Go out with friends to ice skate or bowl, play racketball, pool, basketball, soccer, run, and swim in the Student Activity Center and the club in town called "Wayside."
Bang for the buck
If you have scholarships it is certainly worth the money. Tuition is relatively low and they are currently working on in-state tuition for out of state students which will make it even cheaper.
Share any unusual traditions or locations on campus
This university focuses a lot on diversity and "non offensive language"
Great for these types of students
Great for those pursuing leadership and diversity and business and neuroscience majors are very strong.
Clubs and Activities
There are 400 clubs and organizations and almost no shortage in your area of interest, and if there is, you can make one.
Greek Life
I have heard it is great, but I have not participated
Campus Safety
Safety is not an issue most of the time. Daytime is obviously very safe, but you may want to have someone with you at night. Some drunk vandals here and there and few violent issues.

Lauren from Bloomfield Hills, MI

a current student here
4 people found this review useful
CategoriesComments
In three sentences
Central Michigan is a large MAC school with a small school feel. It is friendly and filled with people who seem to have a lot in common with me. There are a ton of options here, for everything from where to live to what to study to where to eat to things to do.
Tips for prospective students
Keep an open mind when you come to CMU as this could be a new experience for everyone. There are a lt of different types of people here from different lifestyles, but they are all here to learn and have fun and make great friends.

Make sure that you plan your time wisely, go to classes and review your notes often! And take advantage of the prof's office hours-they are there to help you.
Academic Rigor
The difficulty of classes really depends on the subject, the level and the student. I am here to learn so I am doing my best to study and prepare for my classes. There are TA's, pro office hours and tutors to help students succeed.
Dorm Life
I live in one of the towers dorms and it is great! 4 bedrooms, a large living area and 2 bathrooms, for 4 people! Plus there is air conditioning! And it has an excellent location-close to classes and shopping and night life! I lived in one of the smalled dorms last year and this one has so much more room! And, the lobby is a great place to hang out.
Food and Dining
There are a ton of options with the meal plan and lots of restaurants for off campus dining choices.
What to do for fun
The sports are a blast-watching at the MAC level. I also like participating in intra mural sports, workout, hang out with my friends. But, mostly I study.
Bang for the buck
The dorms are much better than the ones at MSU and U of M...and, you don't feel like a small fish in a big pond here. There are scholarships, grants, financial aid and on-campus (and off) jobs to help with college costs.
Share any unusual traditions or locations on campus
We have a great tradition of a rivalry with Western. It is great to attend all of those games and road trip to Kzoo when you can.
Great for these types of students
CMU is great for people who want to participate, a little or a lot. It is not a school like U of M, where everyone was the valedictorian of their high school. Central is normal!

There are a ton of great majors, like education, business and medicine.
Clubs and Activities
There's something for everyone, from intamural sports, to being an RA to dorm council and the Greek system.
Greek Life
I don't participate at CMU but those who do, love it!
Campus Safety
Lots of lights, always someone willing to walk you home and the campus has it's own safety department, in addition to the Mt. Pleasant police department.

Sierra from Redford, MI

a current student here
4 people found this review useful
CategoriesComments
In three sentences
Central Michigan University is a big university with a small campus feel. Within my first year I connected with so many professors. They help quite me with studying, reviewing and any questions I had regrading an assignment. The community is so friendly and polite, they greet you with a smile.
Tips for prospective students
Get involved, go to events, great cancer awareness month, black history month. Go to main stage it is a great opportunity to sign up for different organizations, and clubs and also meet amazing new people.
Academic Rigor
The academic side of Central Michigan is very engaging and you get hands on experience. From 100 level to 500 level you will learn something new every time.
Dorm Life
I stayed in the dorms for my first two years. I met so many different people well being in the dorms. My freshmen year I stayed in Towers, Kessler and my sophomore year I stayed in Towers, Campbell. These two dorms let you have your own room but you share a bathroom with one other person and a common room with 3 other people. I looked these type of dorms because they give you your own privacy when you need it, and still get to live with 3 new people.
Food and Dining
RFoC (Real Food on Campus) is hands down the best food you'll have on campus. They have different food stations such as soup/salad, american dinner, mongolian food, international dinner and everyones favorite pizza.
What to do for fun
Go to every event, show your face. Central will send you an email once a week about different events going on campus. Try to volunteer, Central offers many volunteering opportunities all week long, even weekends.
Bang for the buck
If you enjoy a small campus with a big name, you will love central michigan. All sport games are free to any student with your Student ID. Don't have a ride? No worries, Central Michigan offers a program called Safe Rides which will send you and one more student any where around campus with one simple call and its free.
Share any unusual traditions or locations on campus
Here at Central Michigan University during finals there are studying stress relief dogs. You pet them and play with these certain dogs and they give off a stress relief for students studying on campus. In high school I never heard of something like that but on my freshmen year I thought it was so interesting.
Great for these types of students
Free Tutoring, is available for any subject from Math to English. They'll help guide you until you get the information and understand it. I personal will go to the professors office during their office hours to get a better understanding on a subject and it has helped me so much during my college years here at Central Michigan.
Clubs and Activities
My freshmen year, I was writing fashion articles for Grand Central Magazine once a week, based on what to wear to different places on campus. My sophomore year I was in a dance team called Rampage Dance Team, we performed in different events such as Centrals Mock Rock.
My junior year and currently I am in a club for my major Marketing called AMA. we meet every wednesday to talk about different skills and scenarios involving marketing. This club has taught me so much, it gave me the encouragement to promote my own company through social media.
Greek Life
I don't have personal experiences with greek life but I know so many people in different sororities and fraternities. I am more familiar with people apart of Divine Nine. Each one has a week full of events to engage the community in their organization with different topics such as stereotypes and volunteer opportunities.
Campus Safety
Central Michigan is rated one of the top safest campus in Michigan. Central Michigan is surrounded by the nicest police department you'll ever meet. They'll greet you as you walk in the hallway and will be there in minutes if you in harms way. The campus is also surrounding by emergency call booths, these are for students walking on campus and don't feel safe, a police car will come to your location and drive you to your desired location. I personal never had to use the booths but it makes you feel safe knowing they are there.

Jelina from Mt. Pleasant, MI

a current student here
4 people found this review useful
CategoriesComments
In three sentences
Central Michigan University has the best professors for the Recreation Department! Everyone here is a family and the people really do care about your well being and future. This college has made me a better person through it's programs.
Tips for prospective students
Never be afraid to ask for help if you are confused on an issue or subject. The stupid people were the ones who stayed quite and failed out of classes.
Academic Rigor
Some classes could seem easier than others, but it depends on what academic strengths you have personally. Don't skip classes and stay on top of your assignments and studying for exams and you'll be fine.
Dorm Life
Keep a positive attitude about your living arrangements, and you'll find when you meet your roommates, 9 times out of 10 you'll like them. DO make sure you set rules and guidelines down that everyone has to follow. That way there will be less frustration with people later, and when something happens you don't like TALK about it.
Food and Dining
I thought the food was pretty good. There are multiple food stations you can go to, so if you don't find something you like you can go elsewhere. The staff was very nice and helpful even!
What to do for fun
If living in the dorms: have a nerf gun fight with your entire hall! If living in the apartments: board game nights are always a blast! There's always a free event being held too, so just look around you because there is ALWAYS something fun to do!
Clubs and Activities
The Central Michigan Marching Band is one BIG family! The drumline which I was apart of for 3 years is such a close family. It was hard work, but completely worth it because we were what kept the crowd cheering during the football games!
Campus Safety
Every night there are two retired police cars that are now called the Safe Ride vehicles. Their job is to pick up students at night who need to get around campus but feel unsafe to walk by themselves. It's free and the staff is very helpful!