Hi,
I am asking these questions on behalf of D. copy pasting her questions here:
Can you please help answer the following:
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what is the degree for Computer Science LSA school (is it Bachelor of arts or Bachelor of science degree). in other schools i’ve looked at, usually from engineering school it is Bachelor of science. But could not find information for Computer Science in LSA.
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Common app doesn’t ask me to specify a major when I apply to the Engineering school. It just asks for a list of “engineering interests.” I’m assuming this means freshmen are admitted into the Engineering school in general and then declare their major later.
However, in the “Why UMich” essay, I talk about how much I like Computer Science which indicates that I’m planning to major in CS if admitted to Engineering. Since CS is a highly competitive major, would this reduce my chance of being admitted to engineering? Would it be safer to not specify a major in essay and just talk about engineering in general in the essay?
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If the chance of admission to college of Engineering is not favorable, then will they consider the admission into LSA computer science or into any other school?
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what is the chance of acceptance to school of engineering?
here are the stats (OOS) :
SAT: 1570
SAT Math 2: 800
SAT Physics: 780
SAT Chem: 800
6 APs so far and all 5 score.
2 more APs in senior year.
good extra curricular and some leadership.
I just asked a similar question. LSA has different general education requirements and so does engineering. The LSA college is not easier to get into; it really depends on what she would like to study IN college.
She looks like she’s good at math though and given that the University favors an potential engineering major good at math through the college of engineering, I’d apply there. Nothing has to be perfect. I’m not sure why she wouldn’t apply engineering… it seems like an odd question given her stats and test scores…
And no. I don’t think intended major does impact college of engineering admissions. It’s the school your applying to (ie. The engineering college) that admits you and THEN you declare your major later on in college. That’s how it is at many universities.
No. The specific college (ie the college of Engineering) you are applying to is who looks at your admissions profile. They will not consider you for another school.
Thank you for reply @equationlover.
D is a OOS student and wants to apply for to UMich to a school where may she has a better chance of acceptance.
we thought that LSA school is less competitive than Engineering school.
and D being OOS student and not First generation student, it probably means even less chance of acceptance.
can student appeal to a different school after admission results if deferred?
how tough is it to transfer from one school to another in UMich?
https://admissions.umich.edu/apply/freshmen-applicants/student-profile
What is your daughter’s unweighted GPA? If it’s in the realm for engineering, they will tell you to apply directly.
Call engineering admissions and discuss. Engineering has been 3.9 with like 33/34 ACT the last few years. So yes Lsa is slightly easier to get into. Lsa has been 3.8 with like 32/33 but out of state is usually higher.
Out of state is also very competitive
You have to look at both lsa and engineering CS but there are very few differences.
Yes you can cross campus transfer from lsa to engineering… My son did.
https://www.engin.umich.edu/admissions/undergrad/cross-campus-students/
She seems to be doing the essay correctly. Don’t put down what you think they want to see. Put down your passions.
You either get accepted to one school or not.
Call the departments or search here to learn the difference of the two programs.
I did a Google search and found this :
http://www.eecs.umich.edu/eecs/undergraduate/cs_lsa_vs_engr.html
@Knowsstuff ,
D’s school does not use unweighted GPA.
Weighted GPA: 4.43
all subjects are Honors, AP, Post AP
only language subjects are non-honors.
All grades are A except a B- in a post-AP subject (computer vision).
D wants to go to engineering but for maximizing the acceptance considering LSA instead.
note: D did not do AP physics. just honors physics.
A=4,B=3 and so on… She most likely has a 4.0 unweighted. Applying LSA doesn’t guarantee acceptance. Call and talk with both lsa and engineering admissions counselors. Your question is a very common one for them. They are both more then helpful. They won’t even ask your name. Just give her stats and ask the questions.
My sons essay was on both his hobby which led to both engineering and business. All his summer activities were engineering based. He applied to lsa because there was a possibility of a large merit scholarship. We called and asked after he sent in his application if he could change to engineering. He had the stats for it. They of course said no.
Honestly the first year classes are virtually the same. Even though those in engineering are classified as such they really don’t pick a major till their sophomore year anyway. Then you have to stay in your field for one year in theory.
Your daughter is not a reach for Michigan. She will have to convince Michigan she wants to be there and not some other school. Reach out to her regional school person for Michigan and have her ask the CS Questions. This is a common but legit question. Have her give her stats. Have HER do it. This is an absolutely great way to show interest from an out of state student. Also have her meet Michigan and sign in when they visit her school or county.
we may not go to college tour to UMich due to time, distance.
when you say "Your daughter is not a reach for Michigan. " - can you let me know what that means. will she be a mediocre student as per UMich?
D attended a college fair that UMich held here… but she did not give her email or ask any questions to them.
She does like the school and is one of her top choices.
This is a quiet kid who will not go out of the way to ask any doubts… and will not let parent ask any doubts as well.
D did mechanical engineering classes over the summer (did not apply for college credit for those as at the time we did not know the importance of the college credits)
D does not have her own account here… but she is following the thread and gives me questions to ask here.
I hope she can work on what you advised here.
Have her reach out to her regional person as suggested. They are a touch /feel school. They want to know she wants to go there. Most math /engineering types seem to be quiet etc… Time to get out of her comfort zone.
Michigan seems to be a match for her but nothing is guaranteed. You already know she has great stats. Showing interest is key here.
ok… i now understand what you mean by match and reach.
The college admission process and vocab used is very new to me … so pardon any dumb questions from me.
Do you recommend how the email should be written? should she be asking if she will do better at LSA school or Engineering school?
She has no idea about the school campus or the city or the weather… how can she express interest?
going by her instinct she wants to attend this college.
she did look at the courses in engineering and picked what subjects she likes.
D has to email them as she cannot call undergrad admissions from her school.
Will pm you… Personal message you… You will get this. She also needs to start to research the school if she doesn’t know anything about the school. Their website and Google are good places to start.
With her stats, engineering vs. LSA shouldn’t make much of a difference. However, she would stand a better chance applying Early Action … that is, if she is really interested in Michigan.
Your daughter’s stats are definitely in the top quarter of applicants so in terms of the academic section of her application, she has a solid app. However, it’s very important that she shows interest in engineering in terms of creating projects, taking college classes at nearby universities if possible and so on. What are her extra-curriculars like?
@cassanova she is a senior now. Can’t just take a quick class and impress them. If she truly has an interest then great. Don’t do things because you think they want to see that. If she has activities she has done for a few years then that would be great. A great essay is more important then doing activities or taking classes you think they want to see.
@Knowsstuff and @cassanova,
D is doing an advanced math dual enrollment at local university. although I think D has not mentioned it anywhere on the application. should she be sending an email to undergrad admissions about it?
Also, D did a engineering class in summer (2 credits) as a rising senior and never took credit from the community college because we did not have enough knowledge about taking college credits at the time.
an alumni interview is coming up. please give any advice for D. I really wanted D to opt out but she enrolled for the interview.
extracurriculars have 2 leadership roles (STEM related and Speech related).
Don’t opt out of the interview. The interview is another way to show interest. This is especially important since she hasn’t been on campus. These interviews are more for the student to learn about the university, not necessarily the other way around.
If she has a dual enrollment course, it should be on her HS transcript. You D can check with her GC to be sure. You will need to get the official transcript from the local university after the class is over to send to where ever your daughter matriculates.
This is the time to be empowering your daughter to start taking the reins in this process. She needs to get comfortable asking questions and putting herself out there. U Michigan is a big school. She’ll need to advocate for herself to be successful.
Totally agree with @momofsenior1. Do the interview. Have a few questions to ask like 3 or so. Interviews are usually laid back and friendly. She will talk about “why” Michigan and what she expects from college. It shows interest.
My introverted son at Michigan is like a totally different person at Michigan. As stated putting yourself out there and taking a chance on yourself and believing in yourself has been huge for him. If she gets in, they will support your child in just about everyway. They want the students to be successful.