Great idea, Jay!
I'm in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Michigan. You can find Michigan near the top of any ranking of the nation's top public universities (although I hate to disagree with alum James Earl Jones, who says we're the
best in the world).
You get to live in Ann Arbor, one of the best college towns in the country. Our sports are pretty okay. We have one of the best basketball coaches, the largest football stadium (which is actually getting filled these days), and the most creative hockey student section. Oh, and you get to enjoy
Harbaugh Insanity.
There's always been a big FIRST presence here, but not much organized support until now. If you decide to come to Michigan, you'll get to join the
best new collegiate FIRST program in the country. Among other things, this year we're hosting a kickoff, extending university resources to local teams, reimbursing mentor/volunteer travel expenses, etc.
Michigan is also one of the most expensive public schools in the country, particularly for out-of-state students. Don't let that entirely discourage you, but personally if I were from somewhere else.. I'd go somewhere else.
Feel free to send me a PM or an email with any questions.