U-M: Chances of Successfully Transferring?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Michigan
1

Hi everyone!

So I’m looking to transfer to U of M for the winter 2019 term, and I was wondering what you all think my odds of being accepted are, based on your own experiences. (Admittedly, what I’m really asking is if I’m wasting my time focusing on U of M, and if I should work on transferring to a different school instead.)

My situation is tiny bit unique, so here goes:

I was a pretty decent student in high school. I graduated with a 3.996 GPA, 18th in a class of 598, 10 AP tests with a 4 or 5 on all but one of the tests, 35 composite on the ACT, 2230 out of 2400 on the old SAT, etc.

My goal is to be an engineer, and Michigan was on the top of my list for good schools that were a stretch, but probably attainable. I applied to the College of Engineering and was accepted for the Fall of 2016, and I was ready to go.

However, I received an offer for a near-full ride from Grand Valley State University. My family is in the weird gray region where we are well enough off to not qualify for student aid, but we can’t afford to pay for school on our own either. (I’m the youngest in the family and my parents had already taken out too many loans for my eldest sibling’s college.) We didn’t think we’d be able to afford U of M, so I decided to take GV’s offer and go there instead.

My freshman year at GV went very poorly (which was completely my fault, and I accept that). I neglected my classes in favor of focusing on the rowing team my fall semester, and got myself a 2.7 GPA. I knew I needed to recover from that in the winter semester or risk losing my scholarships, but I got sick with mono early in the semester and I was lazy and didn’t pull my weight. Winter went even worse, and I finished the year with a 2.3 cumulative GPA, lost my scholarships, and dropped out of GV.

Things have gotten a lot better since then. I landed a full-time engineering internship at an automotive supplier over the summer, and they were extremely kind to me and allowed me to keep working there over the winter. As of May 1st, I’ll have interned there for a full year.

I started going to community college in the fall, and am working my way towards an associate’s while also keeping an eye on transferring. For what it’s worth, my community college advisor refused to weigh in on my chances of being accepted to U of M.

I also picked up a second part time job selling electronics in November, and have been there for 6 months now. I’m working around 60 hours a week now on top of going to school, but I’m still doing alright in classes (3.49 GPA at the moment - could be better though).

So I guess my question is that with all that in mind, do I realistically have any chance of getting into U of M? I really shot myself in the foot at GV, and I have a lot of doubts. I could use a dose of reality.

tl;dr I was decent in high school and was accepted to U of M for engineering, went somewhere else instead, tanked, and am now going to CC with good-ish grades while working two jobs. Do I stand any chance of getting back in and transferring, or should I just cut my losses and move on?

Thank you guys so much for reading, it really means a lot!

2

I also apply the Umich transfer this spring and face some situations. I went to the Ohio state Columbus when I graduate. After my freshman year I receive a 3.9 gpa and entered the honor program of my college. However, I receive a formal reprimand( the lowest level discipline penalty and I have to report it in my application although it will not show up in my academic record) in the first semester since I violated the school tobacco free policy. Worry how will that reprimand affect my chances. Stat: Oversea high school gpa 90/100. redesign sat 1440 sat2 math 800, sat2 physics 780. 5 AP. MATH major in OSU.

3

@ajj2016 look at the requirement and see if it applies to you : https://www.engin.umich.edu/admissions/undergrad/transfer-students/admissions/

Also if local they have walk in Tuesdays to discuss this. They will also set up a call with engineering admissions. Look up the person that is the head of it. He’s a nice guy and very helpful.

Michigan is extremely picking on what classes transfer. There is equivalency sites on the website for both liberal art classes and engineering. You can email engineering and they will assist you also.

Don’t be surprised if accepted that you might have to retake some math /science.

Good Luck.

4

I think you have a fair chance at being accepted!

My GPA in high school was a 3.0 and my ACT score was in the mid/high-twenties. (not great, I know)

After graduating HS, I went to Community College until I had a General Associates in Sciences. I maintained a GPA of 3.7 while working full-time. Like you, I’m also working towards engineering.

Sadly, a lot of credits from Community College won’t transfer. I suggest that you look at the credit transfer equivalencies as you work towards your first degree. Pay close attention to high level math classes! Anything beyond Calculus 1 might not transfer (I took Calculus II with honors and it DID NOT transfer).

You might need to attend LSA so that you can get the remaining credits necessary for engineering. I emailed advisors before submitting my application (months in advance) to ask what program/school I should apply to and they recommended LSA. They will likely recommend LSA to you as well.

I think the school loves to see that a student can work and maintain grades because it shows independence and academic dedication. The school LOVES to see improvement. I know students that were rejected with a 3.9 GPA that didn’t have jobs-- so the school is quite picky and I don’t know exactly what it’s looking for.

UMich is the only school I applied to-- but I don’t recommend being as stupid as I am with that.

5

If finances were a concern before, what has changed financially? Even if you get in, how will you afford it?

6

Well, I’ve been working full-time as a paid engineering co-op/assistant for almost a year and a half now. I’ve been able to save enough to cover my tuition for the next few years, and my parents are letting me live with them for the time being. Between those two things, I should be able to attend U-M without needing fin-aid or loans.

So in short, I’ll be able to pay my way through.