<p>People are telling me that since I was accepted at UMich-Ann Arbor, I'll get in at NU because they're both Big Ten. Does that have any solid truth to it? I don't think it does but you never know. I have a teacher who got it at NU but not UMich because her GPA was too low. Personally, I'd like that situation since NU is where I want to go.</p>
<p>By the way, anyone else feel like the essays didn't convey much about yourself? Like, you spent more time answering the prompt than "selling" yourself?</p>
<p>In general, NU is more selective than UMich. However, one thing to keep in mind is UMich's admission, like most public schools, is more mechanical and perhaps based on a well-defined formula. That explains why a person with low GPA would have no chance at UMich while the more holistic admission at NU takes into consideration of other factors and let that person in if they are fabulous.</p>
<p>I agree that everyone is ridiculus to be saying that to me because most of them didn't even go to said colleges. But I think what they mean is that UMich is rather difficult to get into and to get in there says there is a chance. Plus, my app wasn't complete until Christmas and I still got accepted a little into February.</p>
<p>I asked about the essays because having applied to UChicago, I think they have a more open essay process. They let you just spill your guts on any old thing you like whereas with NU, you had to fit it into the word limit as well as the prompt. Perhaps it's just paranoia. Dunno.</p>
<p>Actually, NU is very regional. The biggest numbers are from the Midwest. It's not like Alaska is a big sender.</p>
<p>Well, we see who got accepted from our high schools, and we see what the average GPA and SAT scores are. Just because you got accepted to Michigan, maybe your chances are slightly better than the overall 35% admit rate or whatever it is, but it still doesn't mean much.</p>
<p>I personally didn't think I would be accepted to UMich or UChicago or NU but I applied anyways. I am glad to think that even with the crap I've heard regarding the difficulty of getting into UMich, that there is a shot for NU since they look at the whole individual carefully. And as I was looking back at my essays, I think I did farely well. I preferred UChicago because they asked what your favorite books, movies, music, and television shows are. And there was no limit to how much you could write.</p>
<p>:: Illinois
:: Indiana
:: Iowa
:: Michigan
:: Michigan State
:: Minnesota
:: Northwestern
:: Ohio State
:: Penn State
:: Purdue
:: Wisconsin</p>
<p>...........................
Big Ten Conference</p>
<p>The Big Ten Conference is an association of 11 world-class universities whose member institutions share a common mission of research, graduate, professional and undergraduate teaching and public service. Intercollegiate athletics has an important place within the mission.</p>
<p>Founded in 1896, the Big Ten has sustained a comprehensive set of shared practices and policies that enforce the priority of academics in student-athletes' lives and emphasize the values of integrity, fairness and competitiveness. Big Ten universities provide in excess of $63 million in athletic scholarship aid to 7,500 men and women student-athletes to compete for 25 championships, 12 for men and 13 for women. Conference institutions sponsor more than 250 athletic programs.</p>
<p>To illustrate the already made point, Penn State is MUCH less competitive than Northwestern, yet they are both one of the Big Ten U's. So the Big Ten logic by the original poster doesn't fly.</p>
<p>NU may technically be the most selective B10 school. But I got accepted at NU and waitlisted as an instate applicant to Michigan. I eventually got in to both, but I think that illustrates that they are both difficult to get into and that they use different criteria. Specifically test scores and GPA. Michigan weighs GPA more heavily than NU (hence the waitlisting due to my 3.65 high school GPA), but NU counts test scores and extracurriculars more (hence immediate acceptance with 33 ACT and many clubs/sports/music groups outweighing poor GPA). So, no, I don't think it's ridiculous at all to take acceptance into Michigan as a good sign for your response from NU. This is especially true if you got into UofM out of state.</p>
<p>Exactly. The formula used in the UC system also places more emphasis on GPA than test scores. Sometime going to a compeitive high school instead of an above-average one can hurt your admission chance for public U.</p>