Family Influence

in that case, I don’t get why OP is worried. OP pretty much has a ~97% chance or higher getting in.

3.5 isn’t “slightly low”. In previous threads, it was revealed (I’m not sure how factually) that special legacy status could augment your chances by an additional .2 gpa. If OP gets the extra .2gpa, that still only puts him at 3.7…still not competitive.

I don’t think you send in an application the regular way and get special consideration. You need to have a special path to admissions, that someone with pull presents it. The family foundation, the athletic department, an alum with pull.

Might just be my sense of honesty and fairness…but I’d be grossed out by myself getting into a college on my relatives merits and ability to pull strings… when I’d have no chance of getting in on my own. Seems extremely sleazy to me. I’d have a hard time respecting myself.

@MaryGJ

Perhaps - but to be honest, I probably would not be at Michigan if I was not born to my parents. They are not Michigan alumni or donors, but were willing to spend money on things like SAT prep and out-of-state tuition that most people in the world would not have access to. Almost no one truly pulls themselves fully up by their bootstraps. Most of us have had people help us along the way or give us a lucky break.

The OP may have admittedly received a substantially lucky break. However, I think in many ways, so have I.

this is just what the privileged tell themselves. ahaha

It’s possible with the military but this is a digression of the thread.

@umichhello are you still around? Report back whether you get in.

@betoh

I suppose you might be right. It depends on what you mean by privileged (by socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, body type, gender, etc.).

@MaryGJ this student is qualified, it’s just that so are thousands of other students who send in applications. I took a job where the interview was set up by a friend even though I would never have gotten the job without the interview. If I would have just sent in a resume blind (for a job that was never posted), I never would have been picked. I had no problems looking in the mirror.

Do you think Malia Obama’s or Chelsea Clinton’s applications went into the regular pile? I’m sure both were qualified for admission, but again, so were the other 20,000 applicants. How about the applications from musicians or the athletes? Special pile.

That is correct betoh. Well, not the 97% bit, but the OP has a solid shot of getting in, assuming his grandfather really is coach Carr, who coached Michigan’s only National Championship team in recent years. That is especially true considering the high profile case of umichhello’s cousin’s tragic case and the likely impact it may have had on his academic performance his sophomore year. If umichhello can maintain the high GPA he had in throughout junior year through the first semester of his senior year, and assuming his ACT is in the 31 or 32 range, his odds of admission are going to be significantly higher than your standard 3.5 GPA applicant.

I do realize that I probably come off as an undeserving privileged kid but I’ve worked very hard and I have extensive extracurriculars and volunteer hours and I truly believe I belong at the u of m. That being said, I appreciate all of your feedback and will let you know how it goes!!!

Just get "LLLLLLL"oyd to write your college rec.

“How much has your family donated to the university?”

Assuming that the OP is Coach Carr’s grandchild the answer is that the family has raised huge amounts for Mott which would likely be an important factor.

Also if there was a drop in grades when OP’s cousin(I assume) died and the a complete rebound I think this might be enough to explain and overcome the low GPA

Uh, OP is 100% getting in. I don’t even know why you guys are arguing semantics like whether a 3.5 is low or whatever. Considering his grandparents’ legacy at Michigan, unless OP literally commits murder, he will be admitted.