I just dont get why they cant give us a date… it would release so much unnecessary stress.
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Very unkind response. We are all on CC to learn something about Michigan or the college experience. I understand that this process is very stressful to parents and children alike, but taking your frustrations out on somehow who is trying to learn is not the way to build a supportive community. I wish you, your family, and everyone on this post the best possible outcome and admission to UM.
Annalisee: A legacy is someone who has a family member who attended the school. Depending on the program that legacy can be a parent, grandparent, or sibling. Some schools give admission advantages to legacy applicants.
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Thank you!
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Unfortunately, not sure an OOS high stat student can do much beyond showing strong interest and fit via essays.
As per my D’s GC (who knows the UMich process well), if they think your stats + ECs + accomplishments/honors make you competitive at a T20, they are going to assume you will apply to one or more T20s and will likely choose that school (if accepted) over UMich. But she also said there’s a high chance of subsequent acceptance if you persist and continue to show interest. And of course not everyone who fits this profile will be deferred - a few will get accepted right away.
Let’s see how it goes tomorrow.
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All at once.
In the last ten (10) years of EA releases, six (6) EA releases have been on Fridays, including last year. Patience. 
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Can confirm this is IDENTICAL advice as to what our GC has told us multiple times. In fact, they’ve already prepared many of the students for their postponement. Three public unis that many students apply to in our HS are UM, UVA, and UNC. UNC they tell them to expect rejections overwhelmingly (the only accepted student there over the last few years was a double legacy, and they were waitlisted initially), UM they tell them to expect postponement, and UVA they tell them that it’s a legitimate EA review and that their decision in EA will likely be a strong indication.
Obviously UNC and UVA are straightfoward and fair to the students, while UM plays a bit with their minds. But yes, our GC has indicated that historically they have been able to get kids into UM who a) have the grades/stats/EC and b) prove to UM that they want to come. Again, we get it, and it’s great that UM is quite approachable from OOS (yes, it helps their bottom line, too!). But it IS frustrating lol.
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Yes, that is a reason (among many, as you’ve stated) - but I suppose more applicable to cases where AOs want to see evidence of continued academic strength and upward trajectory, and not really for high stat kids as @collegejunior16 is asking about.
So after all this, what is the perfect profile to get accepted as an OOS applicant in the EA round?
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So, my S22 met with our local admissions counselor in person and attended a couple of on-line sessions. I am also listed as a legacy on his application. But, he was advised NOT to make his “why Michigan” essay about how he’s wanted to attend MIchigan all his life, about the signed Jabril Peppers jersey on his bedroom wall, how he loved the campus (and Zingermans 
) when he visited (not on an official visit), etc. Instead, he was told to focus on the academic programs, clubs, culture of UM and how those factors fit with his goals.
Thoughts about whether this is enough “demonstrated interest”?
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I think you are really off base when you have said this in the past. Schools do NOT look at answers like “I have always wanted to attend, I love the football team, it’s my number one choice…” as you imply and give bonus points. They want the “Why Michigan” or “Why Wherever” essay to have a lot of substance and evidence that you have researched this decision beyond the glossy marketing materials. They realize that kids will say what they think a school wants to hear, including “you are my top choice” so that doesn’t count nearly as much as you seem to think it does. What matters to them is a depth of understanding of fit that is many layers deeper than your approach.
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I feel the answer depends on which OOS state the applicant is from? If you are from Delaware, its not like there are a ton of in-state options but if you were from California, the ad coms know the UCs/CSUs provide an equally elite but higher ROI education.
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Admissions office said not today
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Say from NJ
Similar to CA. Lots of good choices closer to home. But it’s not the alternate target schools they’re concerned about. It’s the higher ranked schools that they think your child would prefer if accepted.
As for what the right profile is for not getting deferred, I wish I knew 
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As to combating the yield management instincts of UM, we’ve managed to keep the stats low. So there is no threat of going off to a T20.
How about Missouri? If the in-state options aren’t elite and one needs to pay OOS tuition for that type of institution, I would think that would be more important than physical proximity.
For Texas, knew they would know dd qualified for auto admit so explained what mich had that Texas did not. Also worked in references to Beyoncé bc why not. It’s a long shot but we will see.
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Well, when I responded I wasn’t aware of the poster’s stats, or what he or she considers as high stats, but everyone here wants to automatically use “yield management,” if and when there’s a deferral of one’s application.
Pre-pandemic, when decisions were made pre-Xmas, Michigan accepted roughly 7,500-8,000 EA apps, which represented 50% of all acceptances. They’re not going to accept 100% of the class in EA, so lots of apps are deferred.
One assumes when they’re both “high stat” and deferred that it’s “yield management,” which most of the top universities do, either with ED, ED1, ED2, REA,SCEA, blah, blah, blah. But we can’t see an applicant’s essays, or the HS’s record of enrollment at Michigan, work, EC’s, character, talents, etc., all listed on the CDS as either important or considered.
Maybe there’s too much representation from one state, maybe they have too many of one gender in a particular program, Michigan wants to increase their 1st Gen representation, or increase their Go Blue guarantee, so more of those students are accepted. Maybe there’s too much representation from one or two countries.
There’s a lot of reasons to defer a “high stat” student, not just because of “yield management,” but parents and GC’s will often use it as a convenient excuse. But sure, sometimes it’s true.
Just sampling last year’s acceptances, they looked to be pretty “high stat” to me (3.9+ uwGPA, mid-1,500 SAT). Again, Michigan can fill a large % of their freshman class with “high stat” students, but it’s a holistic review of every app. And just because an app is deferred, the yield management card is automatically played. Nothing else could be the reason, right?
And my anecdote of one, my D is a “high stat” student and she was accepted EA. And chose Michigan over three Top 20’s. Somehow they knew she would come.
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This is exactly what my S22 did.
The focus on “why Michigan” was on continued areas of interest in his studies/endeavors and how the specific programs/curriculum @ UoM strongly tie in (he is a CoE hopeful).
I suppose the other stuff (signed jersey; M Flag; etc) will have to come in the LOCI.
Fingers crossed for all the hopefuls!
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I just called my regional admissions counselor about the fact that my portal said that I applied for both the summer and fall terms and he didn’t really help me with fixing anything. He told me to just wait it out until Feb 1st… I felt like this was negative (maybe it was just his tone, idk) but my guidance counselor said she thought all of it was positive. She’s assuming that I got in and he knows that by looking at my profile but can’t say anything. I feel like he would’ve had to help me if this was a detriment to my admissions process but idk. I’m really panicking right now and I hope this won’t negatively affect me/
Here’s a pic of my application management again…
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