Okay, so I decided recently that I really want to go to the U of M. I’m a sophomore in high school and currently have a GPA of 3.77. I plan on taking IB classes next year and doing the IB diploma program. I am also planning on volunteering at a hospital since I want to become a doctor when I am older. I barely any extra curricular at all. I only did Debate last year, and I’m currently in no activities…Will this really hurt me? If it will, what should I join to help me out? I know the U of M is not extremely hard to get into, but I just wanted to make sure I was on the right track. If anyone who got excepted to the U of M show me what you’ve put on your application (GPA, AP or IB courses, ACT scores, extra curriculars etc.) that would be extremely helpful! Thanks 
I had literally 0 ECs at the end of sophomore year. I joined a bunch of clubs junior year and racked up hundreds of volunteering hours over the summer. I got into the U less than a week ago, so don’t worry. The U does’t weigh ECs too heavily, but you should have some so it isn’t a negative factor. The sooner you start the less intrusive it becomes though - during the summer I volunteered like it was a job.
@icecreamigloo - depends on your goals at the U. If you want to get into CLA, no its not extremely difficult, 3.5 uw gpa, 28+ on ACT should be enough, along with some ECs. But, if you want to get into engineering, CBS or Carlson, that requires more - something like 3.7+ gpa and 31 ACT. If you want to get into honors, even higher many times. If you do want to go to med school, then the CBS route may be one you’ll pursue and that requires the better stats. Good you are planning ahead.
@wayneandgarth I hope you don’t mind me asking…but what are those places you mentioned? CLA, CBS, Carlson? Are they different colleges at the school? For example, I want to do a pre-med program, so my major is going to be Biology. Is that how I would choose the different buildings you mentioned? I thought when I would apply for the U of M, I was applying to the university not anything specific… I’m sorry if this is a stupid question. I’m the oldest child and both my parents went to high school in different countries, so this is all new to me.
@AS1997
I’m planning to do a lot of volunteering hours this summer and the next. But how many clubs did you end up joining? And what kinds? What type of GPA do you think I should maintain throughout high school? What is acceptable as an ACT score in your opinion? Did you take any AP or IB classes? I’m the oldest child and both my parents went to high school in different countries, so this is all new to me, and it’s getting me pretty paranoid. Thanks for commenting at all though.
@icecreamigloo Yes, those are specific colleges. Carlson = Carlson School of Management (business college), CLA = College of Liberal Arts (general college), and CBS = College of Biological Sciences (life science college). You can pair any major with Pre-Med, but Biology is the most popular. At the U of M, you apply to a specific college, but can change it later depending on success in college. In some cases, you might be rejected by a more selective college (Carlson School of Management, College of Biological Sciences, and College of Science and Engineering) but accepted into the College of Liberal Arts.
As for stats, the average ACT for applicants admitted to CBS in 2014 was just over 30. Also, 78% of admits were in the top 10% of their high school class.
@KMizzle
Thank you!
I’d agree- your priorities should be a) taking the right courses b) keeping your GPA up and c) doing well on the ACT.
EC’s can improve how an application looks, but especially for a competitive field like pre-med, those three are going to be your strongest points (along with the fact that you’ll be a first-gen’er). Volunteering is an excellent EC, beyond that, don’t feel like you -have- to join any activity to improve your application; but do join something if it looks interesting and fun for you.
Take a look at http://admissions.tc.umn.edu/admissioninfo/fresh_overview.html for specific minimum expectations.
CBS would be the most desirable college for a pre-med, but CLA is an acceptable path for pre-med. It’s great that you’re already looking ahead to college (and beyond). That sort of plan
… That sort of plan says you’ll do well, in high school and beyond. Best of luck!
Spend some time on the UM website for prospective students. You can learn much more about the different colleges.
@khidhala
Thanks a lot!