acceptance letter

<p>So, when can I expect to hear back from Michigan. They recieved the entire app on Oct 20. The website says 12-14 weeks, but I don't see why it would take that long on a rolling process. How long did it take you all? I really hope I don't have to wait three months, as UM is a safety school.</p>

<p>12 weeks is not unusual, but you could just as easily hear back in 4 weeks. And unless you have near perfect credentials, do not approach Michigan as a safety. I recommend you apply to at least one true safety.</p>

<p>12 weeks is seriously common? Jeez, I hope that doesn't happen. Michigan is kind of like a safety, but I'm also applying to UF. I think that I'm a lock for UM:
2290 SAT
SAT II: i've taken 6 of them: 780,780,770,760,750,740
APs: I've taken 9: 8 5s and one 3.
Takin 8 more this year.
ECs:
Pretty much everything, NHS (sec), Key Club, Student Council (senator), Mu Alpha Theta (Prez), quiz Bowl (capt), French Honor Society (prez), football, basketball.
Major Awards:
National Merit SF
AP National Scholar
Presidential Volunteer Service Award</p>

<p>Volunteer: 300 + hours, library, Leukemia Lymphoma Society</p>

<p>work: hold part time job</p>

<p>research: have done significant research</p>

<p>Do you think I'm a lock?</p>

<p>Maguo, there is not such thing as a "lock". But you have a very good chance. I would say you are most likely getting in. As for the time frame, it could take as little as 4 weeks, but as long as 12 weeks depending on when your application is completed...and how many students from your area apply to Michigan.</p>

<p>Also, truly exceptional students usually don't have to wait as long. Michigan has an idea about a certain level of student, and Michigan knows that it doesn't matter what happens to yield or application volume or enrollment targets, those students would be admitted regardless of the scenario. </p>

<p>It's the large pool of students just below them who usually see the delays. These students have profiles that make them admittable in theory, but whether they CAN and WILL be admitted in a given year is a function of all the variables I just listed. They sometimes have to wait longer, because Michigan has to be cautious as it tries to determine week by week how things are looking. It will put off making decisions on such students if it needs more information about the pool in general.</p>

<p>for me it took 4 weeks</p>

<p>applied 9/19
decision date on letter was 10/13</p>

<p>Also, will my finaid decision come at the same time? Do you think that I'm competitive for a significant chunk of finaid (>20000)? Without a significant chunk of finaid, I think that going to U of Florida (tuition = 3000 + 9000 room and board) will be a better deal. I have a little trouble grasping just how strong UM is. Are there a lot of students of my caliber? Am I according to hoedown truly exceptional? Anyway, I can't wait for my decision.</p>

<p>Your stats would put you with the top 10% of Michigan's student body. So I would say there are, at any point in time, anywhere from 2,000-3,000 students of your calibre at the University of Michigan. And yes, students with your credentials often get decent aid packages. </p>

<p>What do you mean you have trouble grasping how strong the University of Michigan is? It is doubtful that Florida can be as good a deal. It may be cheaper, but comparing Florida to Michigan is like comparing Florida to Cornell, Duke, Northwestern or Penn.</p>

<p>
[quote]
It's the large pool of students just below them who usually see the delays.

[/quote]
argh i guess i fall into that pool :(</p>

<p>Florida is a fine school although I don't think that it is the "Ivy of the South". I totally agree that it doesn't measure up to Michigan. However, I don't know if I can place Michigan in the same class as Duke or Penn. From my judgement, I see UM as being comparable to Rice or UCLA. I am the first person that I know applying from my school, which is why I have trouble judging it. Well, think about it, UM is the most expensive public school for OOS in the country (37,000). UF is 12000 for me, and with the state scholarship and NMSF, I will be down under 2000. Also, how competitive is the honor's college?</p>

<p>In my opinion, not very.</p>

<p>Maguo, it's not about what I think or what you think. When I say Michigan is comparable to Cornell, Duke, Northwestern and Penn, I mean in the eyes of the the top professors, elite recruiters (McKinsey, Goldman Sachs etc...) and adcoms at top graduate schools. In the eyes of top professors and academics, Michigan is comparable to the 4 schools I mention above. They all get scores of 4.5 (Michigan, Northwestern and Penn) or 4.6 (Cornell and Duke) out of 5.0 according to the peer assessment score. Some years, Michigan has a higher peer assessment score than either Duke, Northwestern or Penn. </p>

<p>Rice gets a score of 4.2 and UCLA a score of 4.3, so they are slightly lower than Michigan and the other schools mentioned above, but only fractionally. Florida gets a score of 3.6 which is way lower than 4.5. </p>

<p>Like I said, you cannot compare Florida to Michigan. You can certainly say that it is cheaper to attend Florida, and that Florida is a good school, but what you are doing is saying that you bought a Camry because it was a better deal and a Mercedes Benz S500 or BMW 760. Sure it is, but then again, there is a valid reason why the latter are far more expensive than the former.</p>

<p>alex, what is the peer assessment score? i've seen that criteria being used in many rankings worldwide, but i have no idea what that means.</p>

<p>The peer assessment reflects the results of a suvey of key higher ed personnel. They were asked to rate all colleges and universities of their own type. That score is one component of the US News rankings. It used to be the ONLY component, which is why U-M used to be so high. It's always been regarded as an exceptional school among academics.</p>

<p>Yes, but in the end, don't Rice and Virginia rank above UM in USNWR? Although UM has a high peer assessment, it lacks funding. I don't have the ranking next to me, this is just what I remember from seeing it. How could you put Michigan(#25) in the same class as Penn (#4) or Duke (#5). What scares me alot about Michigan is its high acceptance rate, which makes me think that it may not be the strongest school. And I don't agree with your analogy of car buying. Yes, most people would rather have the Mercedes over the Camry, but is the Mercedes worth the extra thirty thousand? A Camry could also get me places (and it gets good mileage). Also, other top public schools are much cheaper. If we take Georgia Tech to be comparable to UM, GT's cost is only 27000 for OOS. Oh, and Alex, how do you know so much about UM? Were you formerly an adcom? Did you go there?</p>

<p>Virginia has the same rank as Michigan in the USNWR. Rice is only 8 spots higher. </p>

<p>Michigan, Penn and Duke all have VERY similar peer assessment ratings, meaning people view the universities nearly the same. They may be ranked differently, but they are viewed the same to employers, something that is more important than ranks. </p>

<p>Florida is a very good school. It's not an ivy league school, but hey, if I had the chance to attend a school of that caliber for hundreds of thousands cheaper, I would. I'm even considering going to a community college for 2 years then transferring to UM, because of cost and what I actually believe would be a better education. Yeah, that's right. A community college education the first 2 years is probably going to be better than Michigan's the first 2 years. You won't have professors you won't understand. You won't have graduate students teaching your class. You won't have hundreds of students in one class with little attention to you. And an A at whatever CC in Calculus is much easier and viewed the same as an A at Michigan in Calculus. Just something to think about.</p>

<p>About GT: Georgia Tech isn't at Michigan's caliber just yet. They have lower peer assessment grades, lower USNWR ranks, etc. I wouldn't go to GT over UF, as it isn't a significantly better education for the thousands more.</p>

<p>maguo you made me laugh! :D Alex is an alumnus of UM.</p>

<p>Question: My application was complete on 10/13 but I still haven't gotten in :( I am applying Preferred Admission to Ross - would that make it take a lot longer to get notified of admission (considering I am qualified enough for LSA) ?? Or do they first admit you into LSA and then after a while, notify you of Ross? Or do they notify you of both at the same time?</p>

<p>Duke may be listed at number 5, but I can't see many people (other than Duke grads) claiming Duke is a better school than MIT.</p>

<p>Bottom line, USNews is looking to turn a profit. By 'updating' their lists each year they ensure people the next class of ambitious high school seniors will have to buy the latest edition of their book. If you want to base your decision off it, I don't think many of us here will attempt to stop you.</p>

<p>Maguo--Are you saying that Florida has better funding than Michigan?</p>

<p>A2Wolves, my coworkers daughter took the same path--WCC for two years, then transferred to UMich. It's not a bad option. However, I would quarrel with the allegation that the courses will be better. I have taken a general-ed literature class at WCC, and I don't think it was very typical of the kind of course you'd get at a selective 4-year school. </p>

<p>There was a real mix of students in there--a few who had plans to get a four-year degree, but many whose aspirations were lower, and their preparation for such a lit class (and their interest in and expectations for the class) made for a noticably different experience than I had in my undergrad classes at a 4-year campus. The calibre of the discussion, the scope of the assignments, the workload--all were different. </p>

<p>Some of what these students brought to the readings were really interesting (a real-world, no-patience-for-bs attitude) but we also had comments like the man who couldn't understand William Blake's poetry ("Tyger, Tyger burning bright...") because tigers don't actually catch fire and burn. I am not sure one would have to explain something like that at U-M.</p>