UMich Ann Arbor Early Action for Fall 2022 Admission

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Michigan
, ,
3756

There was an amazing piece written on some other chat site a couple of years back by students that got in and went to review their UM files under the sunshine laws once they were on campus.

Their insights at that time (3/4 years ago) were that there seemed to be a system with notes that implied they were deferred but in a stack that quickly converted them to YES based on LOIC and grade confirmation. They also saw reference to notes about the magical grade Calc and what they called significant markup and comments on the EC section of their essays.

Sorry I can not find the link - so worthless!!

The room where they viewed the apps apparently prohibited phones, cameras or note taking.

Anyway, that post would seem to possibly, maybe, hypothetically set up precisely to where we sit today. Hopefully.

Again, sorry for not having the exact reference but I am sure someone else has seen it.

1 Like
3757

thx. let’s see if i did it ok.

3758

I’ve seen this and can find it.

1 Like
3759

You would be a scholar and a hero.

3760

It was on Reddit and the kid wanted to transfer from Michigan?

3761

Thanks for attempting this thread . tried to do it per th suggestion. let’s see if it sticks.

3762

If you search for @srparent15 's post(s) in this thread, way, way back, her S21 was able to review his admissions file last Fall, I believe. She posted about it in this thread, although she did say there was a great deal of info redacted.

1 Like
3763

This is the one I was thinking of.

https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/p8bg38/reading_my_michigan_admissions_file/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf

2 Likes
3764

That is great data. That was not the one I saw - as mine was more about the holding pattern process.

Yours is great. I would predict it is soon pinned and loved by all!!

3765

From January 29. Sorry for the confusion. I was responding to someone who asked in anyone from Central NJ got in.

3766

Here are her posts from way back in the tread. Hope it’s ok to copy/paste them here. Thanks for sharing this info @srparent15!

They have 2 readers for every application and it is very possible it might be noted if there is a legacy connection. My son and his friends went and read their applications a few months ago. They’re all scored 1-15 IIRC and one who had a legacy connection did have a note about it on his app from one of the readers. My son had fun reading his file, although they redact a lot of info and you can only look if you actually attend. It’s very secretive too as you can’t take the file out and you can take notes only, no pictures of anything like that.

Yes, they do. They unweight it and take your core classes only. At least that is what they told us at an information session we went to. My son also saw his actual application and his GPA was re-weighted on that to a 4.0 as they don’t count +/- and he had a few A- in core courses.

So this was interesting, he is in COE and IIRC they converted his entire ACT score to an SAT total and wrote that on his app (this was all handwritten I think he said) and they also only took his math, they never even noted his science score (maybe because that was his lowest) as 36/1600 whic he thought was interesting.

Both readers wrote paragraphs about his EC’s in the context of whether he would be a good fit for UM and be an involved student. I don’t believe they wrote about any specific EC’s but it was noted that he was involved in hs. They didn’t note any of his awards.

Another thing that was really interesting to him is that last year the EA apps weren’t due until Nov 15 and he turned his in right at the end. His was reviewed within a few weeks. The app doesn’t say whether they should accept or postpone him, just that each person gives him a score of 1-15. The lower the score the better. The application file is supposed to have everything the student submitted. LIke I said, the LORs were redacted. So, he was then postponed and he wrote the little essay thing that he was asked to do when he was deferred. I can’t remember how long it was supposed to be but there was a prompt and he basically made it like a letter of continued interest. Well, that wasn’t in his file at all. The next thing in his file after all the comments, was his final transcript. So we found that interesting. Wondering what “pile” he was put in if they never even printed and put that essay in his file at all. Was he always in the to be accepted pile, but later.

Also, nothing about his HAIL interview either which he had in March. For those thinking it makes a difference or not, and you need it to get in. You don’t. His friend was accepted in the first batch to COE and didn’t have a HAIL interview. The difference between him and my son was that he was the valedictorian, my son was salutatorian. Maybe that’s why my son was postponed initially since they both applied for COE. Only 3 from our school were accepted to COE. The other was a girl who was the unweighted GPA valedictorian.

4 Likes
3767

Not to different then what they say online.

3768

Thank you for sharing! Interesting on all levels. UM does reveal on their admissions webssite their assigning of “outstanding” “excellent” “good” “average” to various areas (though they remain vague as to what exactly gets assessed beyond Course Rigor, Grades, Essays, etc


It is validating to see they do, in fact, take note of AP test scores as I mentioned in an earlier post this week. Fascinating stuff.

1 Like
3769

Hi, I can address some of your questions as although I have not been on in months, when I got tagged in the posts below, I was notified. Hopefully it can shed some light on the process, or also more confusion


My son is a freshman at UM in COE and was postponed as you have probably seen by now. He ultimately was accepted and attends and when he learned he could review his file, went in the early fall to do so.

So in re to this comment of yours “The room where they viewed the apps apparently prohibited phones, cameras or note taking.” - All true with the exception of prohibited note taking. You are allowed to take notes, but cannot take a camera or phone in with you.

No notes at all regarding being postponed/deferred etc. No reasoning whatsoever why my son was postponed and he had a really GOOD score! Comments said he would be a great addition to UM and that he would be heavily involved. Great EC’s, etc. I honestly can’t remember what it said about his coursework or rigor other than the GPA listed as 4.0 but I can ask him.

I’m not sure I posted this originally when he reviewed his app, but he was actually the only person from our school that was later accepted after being postponed. Mid 20’s were accepted in total. There were 2 I think accepted in one small cycle a little before he was and those were legacies of some sort. We also I believe got either 3 or 4 kids into Ross this year which is shocking because some years we get none and usually one at most. We’re an OOS school. I think this year there is a correction though due to Michigan over-enrolling last year because it doesn’t sound like nearly as many have gotten in this year from our school, or anywhere, so I think they did take less this year in EA and waiting to see what their conversion is.

I also don’t believe that the postpone so many kids because they don’t have time to read the files. Mainly because my son turned in his app on the day it was due (Nov 15) and it was read by both readers at UM by November 30.

The score given was numerical, so whoever said they’re given outstanding, excellent, good, avg, etc. that was not something seen on his application and as far as I know, not on his friends who are in LSA either. I also don’t think there was anything about his AP tests (all 5’s at the time of his application) but I can ask him about that too.

Happy to help provide any bit of information I can. It is a stressful process for sure!

5 Likes
3770

does anyone know the tentative release date for deferred EA applicants?

1 Like
3771

Was anyone else notified of a financial aid update today? I can’t tell if this is including merit or just need based

1 Like
3772

was it an email or on the portal?

3773

We were notified. Just need based. Looks like merit won’t be released until +/- April 1st.

1 Like
3774

Was there a second set of readers and their comments listed as well? Does the application go through the process twice with a postponement?

3775

No. Other than the readers from the end of November after he applied he has said it didn’t look like his app was ever looked at or touched again until the put his final transcript in it in June.

No mention of his being postponed and the comments all leaned toward the idea he would’ve been accepted. His ECI letter wasn’t even in there and he was asked to write one. Also, no 7th semester grades or HAIL interview info which he didn’t have until March. It’s hard to know what is going on in their heads but it’s almost as if it was always going to be an accept but just not in January and thus they didn’t bother to add anything else to the file until he committed and send his final transcripts.

It’s kind of strange. He knows he got postponed with a better review score than other kids from our school in EA but chalks that’s up to his applying to COE and them to LSA and none of that bothers him since it’s a different program.

3 Likes