another one of those pesky chances threads...

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Michigan
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<p>Ok, here's the scoop. My D has the following stats:</p>

<p>Rising senior at fairly competitive suburban NYS school, all honors/ap classes (will have 8 by end of senior year, AP scholar), GPA about 4.0 UW, rank as of last year 6/225, high honor roll all terms, ACT comp 33 (36 on reading), SAT 2110 (math 660, CR 800), RIT medal winner (a junior book award), editor school paper, editor literary mag, student reporter for biggest regional newspaper, summer research internship at Univ Buff this summer plus a 30 hr/week summer job, varsity track last 4 years (captain last year and senior year prolly), varsity volleyball 2 yrs, JV 1, scholar athlete, volunteer at hospital and other community orgs prolly 100+ hours total, NHS, Key Club, horseback riding 10 years, etc. you get the message. Can write well and will have great recs.</p>

<p>Looking for a biomedical engineering program, planning on at least a masters at some point. Likes research, wants to do it in undergrad. Wants a "well-rounded" college experience, ie not techy but not too greek or preppy. She's quiet but friendly, independent, liberal, not one of the most popular girls because she doesn't "play the game" if you know what i mean (we have a cliquey school). Likes lots of interesting things to do, hiking, shopping, museums, movies, poetry, etc. I think you all probably get the picture here.</p>

<p>Any thoughts on her chances at UMich? Is there merit money OOS? Other schools on her list so far are URoch, Case Western, UPitt, UPenn, SUNY Bing, Boston U.</p>

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<p>I applied from OOS with similar stats (34 ACT, 36 Math ACT, 2180 SAT, 660 CR, 800 M), a lot of ECs and awards, and a similar schedule. I got scholarships, despite applying late (January), so I'm sure if she applies now, she'll have a better chance and might even get more.</p>

<p>I decided on UM because of the plentiful opportunities that it provided and its well-rounded college experience. Didn't go to a cliquey school (I went to a small private), but I'm sure you can find whatever you're looking for at UM (It's the reason I ended up picking it, at least).</p>

<p>If she's not looking for a techie environment, DO NOT apply to the Case Western. I seriously considered going there because for a time being, I was looking for a really nerdy environment, but when I stepped on the campus, I knew I couldn't spend 4 years in that environment. At the student panel, someone asked what the kids there did for fun. I think Engineering and Robotics club were in the answer... Another asked about the presence of alcohol on campus. That somehow turned into a defensive rant about how there ARE parties in Case Western, if you find them, that is... I'm not into partying at all or anything, but I'd like to go to a college where the kids don't walk around in lines, not talking to anyone, with their heads looking down all the time... Also, I visited both their poli sci and math departments. Nothing compared to UM (I visited both schools on the same trip).
That being said, Case gave me more money than any school except Tulane and Vanderbilt. One of my friends' parents complained through a couple of letters to Case about not receiving any scholarship. He was a 3.6 GPA and 1300 SAT student. The day he accepted his spot at Vandy, Case sent him a full scholarship. It's a good good school financial safety.</p>

<p>I applied to UPenn ED and got deferred and then rejected. At the same time, I kind of lost my interest in UPenn and increased interest in schools like Chicago and Cornell because UPenn is very pre-professional, and like your daughter, I was looking for research. However, I did spend a summer taking classes there and loved it. Now I'm going to contradict what I said about research. My boyfriend (1600/2300 SATs, 35 ACT, ranked top 200 in nation among biology, physics, and chemistry students...nerd, I know) got into a very selective molecular biology physics...something like that...program there that provided him some special kind of stipend scholarship. (Now I'm going to take back my contradiction.) I'd still suggest Michigan over UPenn for research, despite a program like that, just because of the resources offered to you at UMich.</p>

<p>A girl I know with lower stats than me and a couple of C's got a $15,000 scholarship to Boston U. She was a National Merit Finalist, though, so that might have been it.</p>

<p>Okay, that was a boatload of info, but yeah, those stats, interests, schools, etc. were basically what I was looking at a year ago...</p>

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<p>I would say she is in for sure. I would also agree that she is in strong contention for good scholarships. My stats were slightly better, but her ec's are better and I got really good scholarship money as an OOS.</p>

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<p>Thanks so much for the responses! Tomorrow is her interview at Rochester so we'll see...</p>

<p>We knew Case was techie, we visited in the spring....she feels like you do, Christine....but it is a financial safety (I think) for us.</p>