<p>Let me give you a truthful opinion of mine; college admissions, to a large extent, can be random processes.
Students with great grades may not get in. Students with only good EC’s may not get in. Students who rely solely on essays may not get in. That’s the reality of it.</p>
<p>Just take a look at the deferred thread of Ivy league schools and you’ll know what I’m talking about. However, off late, it’s not just Ivy leagues, it’s schools like UMich, UChicago, Duke etc. that are deferring extremely strong applicants which is testament to the increasingly selective nature of schools.</p>
<p>Having said that, I think you have a very good chance at UMichigan.</p>
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<li>You’ve got exceptional music EC’s. I’ve never seen such a high level of musical achievements. I’ve always felt that it’s better for students to do a few EC’s and do them well and to be passionate about them. It seems that you are definitely interested in music and your numerous awards + leadership position make it the strongest aspect in your whole application. </li>
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<p>That said, it is kind of weird to find out that you “did music just for admissions”. That shouldn’t be your goal; to do something for the admissions committee. You should pursue what you like, only because you really like it. I also thought that if you wrote an essay about your musical passions (supported by your strong EC’s) it would really make you a stand out applicant. But if you don’t actually feel strongly then don’t write about it because it wouldn’t portray your true feelings accurately, which would make your essay less effective.</p>
<p>Anyhow since you have such good Music EC’s I feel that you should definitely take advantage of it and express it in your application through some other way rather than just letting it be there in the “Activities” section. Like I said; you could write a compelling common app essay on it or in your “Why Michigan” Essay - you could mention specific things about Michigan’s music school or any music related activity that you could pursue. Don’t just say “the orchestra” because that’s rather mundane. Talk about WHY Michigan’s orchestra. WHY it appeals to you. WHAT you can do at the orchestra.</p>
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<li>You’ve got pretty good academic achievements. A high GPA (which you should maintain). A High ACT score. However, while UMich doesn’t require subject SAT’s, I would definitely recommend taking 2 subject tests. Think of it as a bonus to your application. If it’s bad - you don’t need to send it. If it’s good, it simply adds value to your application so think about that. Try bumping up your AP scores and make sure you score well on them. You’ve got a decent workload, not as rigorous as I’ve seen but nevertheless still decent. </li>
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<p>On the academic front, I’d say you have a really good chance as well. It’s all about maintaing your grades and taking subject SAT’s.</p>
<p>I wish you the best of luck !</p>
You should get in as long as your essays and recs are good 
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