<p>SAT: 1900
ACT: 28
Class Rank: 40</p>
<p>Schedule</p>
<p>IB Psychology I: A
IB Theory of Knowledge I: A
IB Math Studies: C
IB Biology I: A
IB World Literature: A
IB Spanish I: B
IB European History: A</p>
<p>Accomplishments
200 Service Hours
2 years of Tennis
2 years of Soccer
Debate Team for 3 years
People to People Student Ambassador</p>
<p>Weighed GPA: 4.3
Unweighted GPA: 3.6</p>
<p>hmm, thats a pretty low SAT/ACT score. You have a pretty good GPA. not sure how 3.6 went to a 4.3 but whatever. take the SAT and/or ACT again and do better. just remember michigan has ~50% acceptance rate</p>
<p>Michigan’s acceptance rate last year was ~41%. This year it’s likely to be in the 30’s.</p>
<p>OP, you are on the lower end for both the ACT and GPA ranges (is that your umich GPA?). Retake the ACT and shoot for 30+. Also, do really well the first semester of your senior year.</p>
<p>i was thinking about trying to shoot for a 30 on the ACT (two more points should be nothing because a sophomore i got a 24), and applying early decision to michigan this fall. Do you think those two factors would help? And because i live in illinois, which is right under michigan, i could easily trek up there for an interview.</p>
<p>3.6 unweighed GPA and 1900/28 SAT/ACT would make Michigan a reach for you. That C in Math will hurt a little. Michigan is definitely within your reach, but it won’t be easy.</p>
<p>Alexandre, just a question, but do you not find that IB GPAs are typically given a little more weight in the admissions process due to the curricular rigor and workload? (versus the typical grade inflation of many comprehensives…)
And OP – U of M will know your school; if it’s well regarded you are likely to be looked upon more favorably. Also, in the unlikely event you have not read the other threads here, please note the following in order to increase your chances:
<p>kmccrindle, I don’t think IB students are given extra consideration. I think students who take weaker courseloads are penalized. Michigan expects students to take AP courses, particularly their Junior and Senior year.</p>
<p>Michigan is a reach for you because of your GPA… it is too low and your test scores are slightly below average.</p>
<p>Blackpen - that really depends on the rigor of the school the poster is at, which can make all the difference.
Alexandre, I think some might argue that IB programs feature a workload that is much more intense and better prepares a student for at least some types of college study than the highly ubiquitous AP where the curriculum is very often teaching to the test (which is not to say it’s not difficult.) In each case, it does depend on the program, teaching talent and student motivation, of course.</p>
<p>Just take the ACTs over again. But overall, you are a much stronger applicant than I was (and I was accepted) in terms of numbers. Good luck next year though!</p>
<p>If you raise the test scores a little bit and apply early I would imagine you’ll get in.</p>
<p>ummm no. A friend of mine went to a top 10 school in the nation had similar stats and still got deffered then waitlisted.
Rigor matters, but that is expected. If it is absent, an applicant would be hurt, but umich expects it to be present.
I guess it would matter, only if the applicant took like 4 APs as a sophomore and continued that streak.</p>
<p>The OP is taking 7 IB courses, including the Theory of Knowledge, meaning he or she is gunning for the higher level diploma I assume. That is certainly worth more than 4 APs in weight.
U of M accepts those courses for credit hours with a 5 or higher out of 7. (Just like APs with a 4 or 5, depending on the course.)
“The Office of Undergraduate Admissions generally awards credit for I.B. Higher Level examinations passed with scores of 5 or above.” (from site.)
So I doubt taking 4 APs when one is already taking 7 IBs on the higher level track would net the OP a better shot. Each of AP and IB signifies the highest level of rigor available to a student in high school.</p>
<p>I think the OP has a decent shot if he or she does well on the higher level exams and if the program is known to historically produce successful college students.</p>
<p>(OP, do not be dissuaded from giving it the proverbial college try : )</p>
<p>well kmccrindle the thing is that all IB Programs like schools that offer AP’s are inconsistent from school to school with quality of students and teachers, how well they actually perform in college and overall ability, some schools like the International Academy in Troy have very impressive IB programs and it is an amazing school and one of the best high schools in the nation pretty much a feeder school for Michigan, but some IB programs are present in low income areas such as Lansing public schools, Detroit inner city, etc. (areas that lack adequate resources and put them at huge disadvantage in comparison to other schools that have more to work with) and their students’ standardized tests scores and overall quality is not really comparable to a high school in a high income area with AP classes such as Okemos, Troy, Seaholm, West Bloomfield, East Lansing that do not have IB programs send 20+ kids to Michigan every year that end up doing generally well</p>
<p>I think Michigan recognizes these discrepancies and as Alexandre stated above IB is generally not given extra consideration, the quality/reputation of the high school probably matters more</p>
<p>International Academy is not located in Troy…</p>
<p>I meant Bloomfield Hills sorry</p>
<p>I see your point, RamenN, and should qualify my comments to emphasize the quality of the program as opposed to its curricular philosophy (as I’d mentioned in the earlier post.) However, the one thing both AP and IB typically have in common is that there is an objective testing element upon which they’re scored regardless of the actual in-class delivery of the curriculum and the wealth or lack thereof in terms of school district resources.
Eg. if a student scores a 5 on an IB in a poorly run and under-resourced school, that 5 still has objective meaning. The part that would have less meaning would be the overall GPA, which could be comparatively inflated or an unreliable reflection of a student’s capability if the program were not run properly.</p>
<p>The point I was intending to make was that everyone was suggesting U of M was something of a reach for the OP based on his UW GPA (and then at one point suggested he take AP…but he’s already taking IB…). In my direct experience and following specific past conversations with a member of the admissions team at U of M, I was given the distinct impression that a lower GPA (eg. 3.5 - 3.6) from an IB-style program “generally” would carry more weight than a 4. from a comprehensive that had no other distinguishing features in terms of rigor. But I believe you are correct in that the track record of the program is more heavily weighted than the type of program.</p>
<p>So…to the OP…ask your GC how many kids your school typically sends/admits to U of M and find out how someone with your class rank has fared in the past. I still think you have the shot to take…so take it and don’t worry so much about being chanced. Just be prepared, as Alexander said, to pull out all the stops in your application.
And do not, for any reason, allow your GPA to fall below 3.5. That’s where (it seems) all bets are off except in the most extraordinary cases : )
Cheers,
K</p>
<p>International academy is located in Troy, Bloomfield hills and I believe White Lake, they have three campus</p>
<p>nevermind…</p>