Hello, I’m trying to apply for U of M (EA) this year, and I was wondering what you guys thought of my chances. I am an out of state student (in Virginia), but Michigan is my number one school now, making me extra worried about my chances for admission. This isn’t everything that I’ve done, but I think that this is the important stuff.
My possible path of study: preferably a dual degree program with Engineering or science/math in LSA and music performance.
GPA: 3.989 unweighted, 4.341 weighted.
ACT: 34 (35, 35, 33, 34), 10 Essay.
AP’s: Comp Sci Principles (4, because I took the test as a freshman without taking the AP course), World History (5), Physics 1 (5), French (3), BC Calculus (5), and Comp Sci A (5).
Extracurriculars: I mainly do music and rowing out of school, both of which are rather time-consuming. As a musician, I play the bass and trombone in various ensembles, like youth/school orchestras and smaller chamber ensembles. I’ve gotten 1st chair bass All-State Orchestra in Michigan and have gotten 2nd chair bass for Virginia’s All-State Orchestra. I did marching band on the trombone, winning marching band states twice, and I got 2nd chair trombone Michigan All-State Band as a freshman. In crew, I was on the team’s top boat this year after being on one of the lowest the year before, winning crew states and ending up in the top 10 in the country. I also have an okay amount of service hours if that’s a concern.
Other things that may help:
I lived in Ann Arbor for 15 years before moving to Virginia, so I have a lot of exposure to the university and its programs. Unfortunately, since I moved, it’s a lot harder for me to be accepted now.
My mom went there, and my dad was a professor there.
I did an internship in a Swiss data analytics company for a couple weeks last summer.
I was the junior in my class to win the Rensselaer Medal for achievement in math and science.
I know that this is a lot, but any advice would be greatly appreciated!
First things first. Assuming you’re auditioning for SMTD, nobody here can tell you what your chances are because we can’t judge that aspect of your application.
Second, You will have to decide whether to apply to School of Engineering for engineering or LSA for science or math. If you decide to apply to LSA, you won’t be rejected based on your academic background. It will depend on your essays, recommendations, and how effective you are at convincing the admissions people that you will definitely enroll if accepted. The fact that you are a legacy, lived in A2, and your dad taught there will be helpful in getting that across.
As for engineering, I can’t be helpful with that because it will depend on your demonstrated interest in engineering. I don’t see any ECs that point in that direction.
For the Class of 2023, the average UWGPA was 3.9 and the 25/75 on the ACT was 32-35. You’re a competitive applicant to both LSA and CoE.
The CoE enrolled 1,363 freshman in the Class of 2022. LSA enrolled 4,163 students. So, besides everything else, your chances will also depend on your choice of school. Obviously, engineering stats tend to skew higher than LSA.
Legacy is considered, but not important according the CDS. There were several examples here on CC from the Class of 2023 where legacies were deferred and then later rejected with high stats.
I don’t disagree with you, but I just wanted to convey to the OP that I saw and heard (privately as well) from quite a few “ticked off” alums, whose kids were deferred, waitlisted and ultimately rejected.
I think the OP’s uwGPA and course rigor are far and away the most important factors for a positive admissions decision.
I haven’t seen the new engineering student profile yet but if it stays the same then admittance to Lsa and engineering are basically the same with engineering being slightly higher in Act but not by much. 3.9 with 33/34 Act puts you right there. So it will come down to demonstrated interest and essays. Also if the OP is interested in Crew for Michigan I think they have a good team.
I would have your rowing coach contact Michigan’s rowing coach. You might be able secure a preferred walk-on. A top 10 national level rower would definitely make you desirable and you are clearly academically qualified. That way you would bypass the competitive admission process (although you still have to complete the paperwork)
@supernovacoach it seems on multiple threads your advise is the same. But OOS for Michigan is a very hard get the last 3-4 years even for someone this accomplished. If he has an advantage it seems to be with rowing.
Look at the kids GPA and Test scores. I see kids in California get in all the time to Michigan with similar stats. The only ones that get rejected are the ones that write horrible essays. Time and time again. parents are students fail to recognize the importance of standing out in the essay.
The OP’s essay could be written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, if he were alive, and the OP may still not get into UMich or any of the other chance me threads that you’ve commented on here this AM.
Based on what fact not just speculation? Yes the essays are important and especially at Michigan. But based on the last 3 years rejections I don’t think what you are saying is factual and can be misleading to applicants. Lots of similar students were rejected this year alone. Lots from California
But I do know someone that knows the UCs well. @sushiritto so if you write an awesome essay and have the stats are you accepted to Michigan? ?.
No one knows why 81% of the OOS students, for the Class of 2022, were rejected by UMich. Maybe essays. Maybe LOR’s. Maybe lack of EC’s or volunteer work. Maybe geography. Maybe no demonstrated interest. No one knows.
Here’s what we do know. UMich, according to their CDS lists two charcteristics as “VERY important.” One, GPA. Two, HS course rigor. Test scores, LOR’s and essays are considered “important.”
I’d add one more from my personal standpoint and that is yield % from your HS. Our local CA HS here in lovely Silicon Valley, appears to be somewhat of a feeder to UMich, if there is such a thing for OOS students. Roughly two-thirds of the applicants were rejected in my kid’s class (Class of 2022). And one-third being accepted is actually REALLY good.
In all honesty, I don’t think it was my kid’s essays, but what do I know.
Well that is the Million dollar question. Wish it was that easy. I personally do think the essay is really important but just one factor in the decision making for the AO. Some states like Illinois have a larger population of students going to Michigan and applying. I personally think writing a Letter of intent not a Loci prior to the EA selection is helpful. Going to the Michigan talks when they come to your region /school and letting the AO know you were there. Ask a pertinent question also. . Visiting helps. My son met with two professors when visiting and used that in the essay. Researching the school and using it in the essay.
Plus just having certain intangible qualities that they are looking for that year when they “build” their class.
Also some plain old luck doesn’t hurt. ??.
“Researching the school and using it in the essay”
So basically if the kid has a 4.6, 36 ACT and writes that they want to be a part of a mediocre football program with excellent academics on their common app, then they are good.
Also writing a few Go Blue’s and giving a Gerald Ford and “Michigan Man” reference or two in the supplementals wouldn’t hurt either.
First, not everyone’s stats are the same. Among applicants who do have similar stats, the differentiating factors IN MY OPINION are
likelihood of enrolling
(based on big-data algorithms that can include legacy status, sibling attending, other connections to U-M or Ann Arbor, history of yield from applicant’s HS, demonstrated interest through visits/ other outreach to U-M, and grades/scores in the sweet spot that makes the candidate strong enough for U-M but an unlikely prospect for HYPSM.
non-eliminative recommendations and essays --meaning that they don’t necessarily have to make the applicant stand out from the crowd, but they have to be “good enough” and cannot include any info that would eliminate the candidate.
