<p>I know basically the admission process at Michigan, but I have questions which my friend brought up. I decided to post since the answers to these questions may also benefit me.</p>
<p>1.) Well, my friend is going to graduate this year, but he was planning to take a gap year. Will Michigan count his sophomore and junior grades, or will they count senior grades also during gpa recalculation?</p>
<p>2.) Due to some serious personal issues, my friend recieved a D in AP Government at FLVS. Now, my friend is a brilliant student with 2270 SAT ( 33 ACT) and top 5% rank. But that D is really a killer. He plans to retake the course at a community college, but that would count as college credit rather than high school credit since he already passed. He wants to redeem himself, but by taking just that one course will mean he will have to transfer?</p>
<p>3.) Not to mention, he's hispanic. Will AA help at Michigan greatly? He wants to maximise his chances, and wants to apply as early as possible. When is the best time to apply? </p>
<p>I'm not an expert or anything but I'll help where I can:</p>
<p>1) I think Michigan will count all three as they won't need to wait any longer for senior year grades. They would be foolish not to. They count senior year for deffered applicants.</p>
<p>2) If the personal issue covers it well and he does well at the community college course he should be alright. Even with the 2270, that D is a pretty big deal.</p>
<p>3) Again, I'm not an expert, but AA seems like a pretty big deal and that should help. The best time is as early as possible (early Sept.)</p>
<p>What is your friend's Michigan GPA? I presume it is pretty high since he is in the top 5%. And I presume he can get good recommendations from his GC and teachers. If that's the case, with high GPA and high test scores, I wouldn't worry much about the one "D".</p>
<p>If he wants to redeem himself, why not self study and take the AP exam in May. If he gets 3 or above, that should negate the "D".</p>
<p>I'd think so. He can explain the personal issue on his essay. A "5" on the AP exam confirms that it's not his ability. Being an AP scholar with a high GPA confirms that he is not a slacker. Good recommendations from his GC and teachers confirm his personality. I'd think that the adcoms will overlook the one "D" on his record.</p>
<p>James, if your friend is going to take a year off, her/his senior grades will not only count...they will be very carefully scrutinized. And your friend had better give a good reason for the year off. </p>
<p>As for the D in one class, it won't really hurt your friend's chances. Top 5% of the class with excellent standardized test scores ought to make up for it.</p>
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[quote]
James, if your friend is going to take a year off, her/his senior grades will not only count...they will be very carefully scrutinized. And your friend had better give a good reason for the year off.
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<p>Well, he case is very <em>special</em> to say the least. He took 9 AP classes with 2 honors, and 2 CC classes. As a result, his gpa fell, and he mostly recieved Bs and a couple of As and one D. I am surprised that he's still surviving with all that heavy courses and his personal problem.</p>
<p>I asked him what he was doing with the year off. He told me that he was into volunteering (1300+ hours) and he wanted to volunteer overseas at Ghana or Cambodia. He also wanted to work to save up for college, since he claims his parents are poor.</p>
<p>As for his "personal problem, " he says that his father had a heat attack at and had to undergo bypass surgery. As a result, he had to work for three months to help pay for rent. His gov class was ONLINE, and by working 4 hours a day, he was unable to do his online stuff. He got way out of pace, and the teacher gave him an ultimatum. Either he finish the course in 10 days (he had 35 assignments left), or she'll drop him with an F. So he busted his ass to finish and he managed to pass with a high D.</p>
<p>I think his case qualifies as "special" and I am pretty his family situation certainly qualifies as a true hardship. I would also say that Universities will really like what he is doing with his year off. I would not worry about his grades. If he got 2 As, a bunch of Bs and a D taking only AP classes, Michigan will understand, especially given his hardship. His SAT score and AP test scores will definitely help.</p>