Ross School of Business, Worth the Risk?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Michigan
1

<p>So I've been doing my college searches and I came across UMich. I've heard that the Umich Ross is an excellent undergrad business school, however it is extremely difficult to get into freshman year. Most students go to LSA and then apply to Ross after their freshman year, and even then the acceptance rate there is low.</p>

<p>My question is, is it worth applying to UMich and hoping to get into the Ross with the potential to be stuck in LSA or would it be better to go to another school where I can get guaranteed admission to their business school with acceptance?</p>

<p>I guess I'd have to provide statistics, so here are some of them.</p>

<p>SAT: 2120 (2140 super-scored)
740 Math (760 highest)
690 CR
690 Writing</p>

<p>SAT II: Math 2 (760) and Chem (770)
GPA: 90.59 (My school doesn't convert to the 4 point scale, and only give out weighted). Unfortunately, my GPA is decreasing as the years pass but I have taken progressively harder classes.
Class Rank: N/A
Ethnicity: Asian American</p>

<p>I've taken as many Honors as possible (English, Math, and sciences, my school doesn't have History Honors classes)</p>

<p>AP Tests
AP Chem
AP Economics (Macro and Micro taught in one year)
AP Environmental Science (will take senior year)
AP Statistics (will take senior year)</p>

<p>Extracurricular Activities:
Decent to good extra curricular activities in my opinion, especially if I can get that Eagle Scout rank (full list in link below)</p>

<p>I've interned over the summer at a financial corporation and write for a sports site.</p>

<p>I go</a> more into detail in this thread, but I don't want to take up too much space if its unnecessary here, since I know my freshman year grades would matter more than my high school grades.</p>

<p>All advice and suggestions are welcome, and thank you in advance.</p>

2

<p>Depends what the other business school is. LS&A at U of M is still better than almost all undergrad business schools. At least apply to pre-admit then make your decision, but pre-admit might be a long-shot</p>

3

<p>If you’re hellbent on b-school, it’s a tough call, but it’s not the only top b-school that does this. There are similarly oriented majors in LSA though, Econ being common for example. You could also take I think it’s 20 Ross credits to supplement that.</p>

4

<p>Greg- I will apply for pre-admit, but I don’t know if I’ll get in. I know I’ll be applying to NYU Stern, Columbia, PSU Scheryer’s Honors, Rutgers, and Villanova as well. I don’t know how they compare. </p>

<p>steellord321 - As of now, I do not think I want to major in Econ.</p>

5

<p>uatt327 - those that know they want Ross coming into their Freshman year and are determined, will gain admission into Ross for their Sophomore year. Ross is worth the risk; take it and be determined.</p>

6

<p>You might determine now if you have a personality that is risk-adverse or not. I have a very successful friend who owns her own company and she once told me that most successful business types have a personality that doesn’t mind taking risks and if they lose they don’t look back and just move on. My son was in your position two years ago, he was pre-admitted to two other business schools (not at UM) and decided to take the risk at Michigan. Like a previous post mentioned, you need to be determined and step on campus with your plan in place to make your application to Ross as favorable as possible.</p>

<ol>
<li>Take all the pre-requisite courses and do well in them.</li>
<li>Join clubs on campus such as fraternities (my son did a Greek and a Business one (there are three business frats on campus–they both take a lot of time!), sports clubs, volunteer opportunities, research, political, anything you are passionate about.</li>
<li>If at all possible show leadership–not easy as a freshman, but you might be appointed to a board for the following school year.</li>
</ol>

<p>You will need to be great at time-management because all of these activities and classes take a great deal of time and effort. Many of his friends didn’t even bother applying to Ross by second semester because they had not performed well in the pre-req courses because they were so busy with their other groups. You need to be focused on the goal or it will be easy to lose your way.</p>

<p>I don’t want to scare you, but you have to know what will be required of you, and UM can be a lot of fun, which sometimes makes it hard to stay on track. Once you get into Ross you will be seated with 500 other type-A individuals who exemplified these qualities and then you only have to worry about the competition…;-)</p>

7

<p>Somthing to keep in mind - The Ross school has proposed a new program - a business minor - which could be added to another major for those who don’t get into the BBA program:</p>

<p>[Business</a> school proposes academic minor program - The Michigan Daily](<a href=“http://www.michigandaily.com/news/ross-minor]Business”>Business school proposes academic minor program)</p>

8

<p>Also consider cost. It’s not just about risk of not getting in (or taking a shot and moving on if you fail); it’s also partially about the cost of taking that chance. If you go to UMich bent on getting into the BBA prog as a Sophomore? that is a risk and a costly one if your OOS tuition cost is factored in. Just think about it. The other schools you listed are also good, and if they aren’t as selective for biz school admin? go with the better bet. Making good choices; that’s also part of being a good business person.</p>