<p>I have been reading a lot about students with low gpa's and high test scores and low test scores and high gpa's getting into U Of M, and I was wondering which one has a bigger impact on your chances of getting in.</p>
<p>I think GPA and test scores are equally important to UM. The most important being the rigor of the courses a student takes in high school.</p>
<p>Thanks, I’m just nervous. Online it says that the average is a 28, so I’m afraid that not many people with low ACT scores get in…</p>
<p>I have a friend who got in with a 25 or 26 ACT, GPA (I’m guessing) about 3.85 or 3.90. They had average ECs but think showed focus in them. They did take challenging classes though</p>
<p>you need both.</p>
<p>Your high school also plays a role in this. If you have a high gpa, but took crap classes at a bad high school and then got a 26 on your act, that doesn’t look good. On the other hand, someone with a lower gpa but who took strong classes at a good high school and got a 31 on his act will probably get in.</p>
<p>I think test scores and gpa definitely correlate. Just as with classes you have to constantly work at them to improve your grade and study, so do you with tests. Few people test well the first time and with little study. Many people need a lot, lot of work. My friend for instance ended up scoring above a 2300 and while she had started out in the 2100’s probably, she studied her whole summer from 10 AM to 6 PM at an institution to help her. She worked on the SAT during a lot of her free time and rammed it into her head for a long, long time.
I started with a score in the 1900’s and worked my way up to a 2300 by studying on my own and ramming long lists of words into my head, taking multiple practice tests, etc.</p>
<p>I’m writing this because I’m not sure if you’re asking about having a low score and not sure what to do with it, or you’re worried about testing. Most likely though, you’ll probably do quite a bit of testing in your life so this definitely corresponds with a lot of things.</p>
<p>Michigan weighs GPA and curriculum much more heavily than test scores. </p>
<p>An applicant who takes a bunch of AP courses and maintains a 3.8+ GPA (unweighed) has a decent chance of getting in as long as her/his test scores are reasonably good (over 1300/29). The opposite is not true. An applicant with a 1500+/34+ on the SAT (M+CR)/ACT does not stand much of a chance of getting in if her/his GPA is below 3.5. </p>
<p>Private universities really care about test scores, Michigan does not. If Michigan used the same model as a private university, its test score ranges would be slightly higher (by 100 points on the SAT and 2 points on the ACT). </p>
<p>Finally, something to keep in mind is that Michigan today is going through a similar phase as Chicago did when they joined the common application 6 years ago. That is to say that Michigan is going to become much more selective over the next 5 years. As such, looking at the past to predict admissions chances would be unwise at this time.</p>
<p>^ agreed. Chicago’s acceptance rate is 15.8% now. It was 35% when I was applying to college two years ago. Michigan will be the same way in the next few years. It will probably be more rapid since the acceptance rate was 50% last year.</p>
<p>Chicago’s acceptance rate dropped from 40% to 15% in 5 years. Michigan’s will not drop as much, but it will probably drop top 25% in the next 3-4 years.</p>
<p>A low high school GPA will make it difficult to get into U-M. They are more likely to look beyond a low test score than a low GPA. I know students have been admitted with ACT scores as low as 24. Of course, that does not mean that a 24 makes you a match for U-M.</p>
<p>What do you guys consider a “low” GPA?</p>
<p>By Michigan standards, any GPA lower than 3.7 (unweighed) is low. </p>
<p>Michigan will typically weigh the GPA and curriculum above all else. It so happens that most excellent students have high test scores, but if a top student should not do well on the SAT, Michigan will generally overalook the SAT.</p>
<p>thanks for all the great responses. I was also wondering if colleges see all the AP classes I am taking for the duration of high school if I apply for early decision. Or do they only see AP’s up to 11th…?</p>
<p>Your school sends your current transcript so they would see the classes you are taking senior year.</p>
<p>The common application requires you to list all of the classes you are taking senior year so they will see what you are taking and they can compare it to your transcript when the school sends it in. I think the counselor recommendation also asks for this information.</p>
<p>I think a combo that any school would like more is a higher GPA and a lower test score. This shows a hard worker, who isn’t as intelligent as the majority of people with a similar GPA, but still manages to get that GPA. A low GPA and a high test score shows a very naturally gifted person who hasn’t nearly tried their hardest in high school. Any college would rather have someone who isn’t that smart than a smart person who has no work ethic, especially considering their potential.</p>
<p>^Just to clarify – the exception to this would be a talented student with a 30+ ACT who is at a highly rigorous school (eg. a top program like International in Bloomfield Hills, etc.) with less than 3.6 unweighted GPA would likely still be highly attracted since the presumption is that a 3.5 or a 3.6 at a TOP school is “worth” as much as a 4.0 UW from a less rigorous comprehensive public school.</p>
<p>SO, it’s important to understand that UMich is VERY familiar with the incoming performance from different HSs around the country, and generally has a strong sense of many schools. Which is why it’s good to ask your GC if they have Naviance how many students from your school are admitted to UMich each year, what class rank they have, and what their average GPA is. That will give you a better sense of your “chances” within your school to be admitted to UMich.</p>
<p>Very good point kmcmom. There are also top private schools on the East Coast where students with 3.0-3.3 GPAs get into Michigan. Students from those schools will get into Ivy League schools with 3.2-3.5 GPAs and into HYP with 3.4-3.7 GPAs.</p>
<p>kmcmom13, I would agree with your comments about the high schools. Michigan is VERY familiar with the incoming performance from different HSs around the country, and generally has a strong sense of many schools. Your high school guidance counselors can provide information regarding admission to Michigan that may be more reliable than other available information. Some high schools have an acceptance rate that is much higher than the average acceptance rate.</p>
<p>stewta4, I would disagree that a student with a high GPA and low test scores is a hard worker, who isn’t as intelligent as the majority of people with a similar GPA. The ACT and SAT do not measure intelligence and there are a number of factors that can influence scores on these tests.</p>
<p>In two years, what do you guys think the acceptance rate will be?</p>