<p>I don’t have a “theory”, aunt bea. I questioned why Michigan deferred some students who clearly had better objective stats than others they accepted. And I doubt those with stellar stats had crummy essays, recs, and EC’s.</p>
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<p>Bye Bye tinalouise</p>
<p>@tinalouise</p>
<p>You’re assuming. And you know what happens when you assume.</p>
<p>Yes, there are students with great stats that were deferred, but that is not without reason. What you see in a post is mostly objective. You don’t know that most candidates who have great objective stats also had highly rigorous courses, a competitive school, great essays, great recommendations, or high commitments to their extracurricular activities. </p>
<p>What you’re not seeing is that many kids with perfect GPAs that are great at taking tests completely disregard the level of importance of a great essay or recommendation. Likely, a good many of these kids slap together an essay and expect that their objective stats will allow them an early acceptance. </p>
<p>As someone with a “low” ACT score, I take offense to your claim many of the kids accepted were underqualified. You cannot possible measure me (as well as others) up as less qualified than those who were deferred just because of an ACT score of a GPA. </p>
<p>It’s sickening how much a number matters in some people’s eyes.</p>
<p>hazelle, there are many students with lower ACT scores than yours who are thriving at U-M. A deferral is difficult news to hear. Although it is not a statement that the deferred applicant is not as good as the admitted applicant, it can be taken that way. U-M is looking for students who they think will do the best there and will contribute to the university community - sometimes these are not the students with the higest ACT scores. For some, the deferral means a longer waiting period. For others, it means a change in plans or a narrowing of alternatives. Usually when things don’t work out, they don’t work out for a reason and a door of opportunity opens elsewhere. Unfortunately, the disheartening news can lead to a few disgruntled posts. Don’t let these posts take anything away from your accomplishments. Congratulations on your acceptance to U-M. Good luck and Go Blue!!</p>
<p>res ispa, thank you! Your post makes me feel far better about all the negativity regarding “less qualified” acceptances!</p>
<p>Well put hazelle. I got deferred with what I think was a stellar application, but I’m not going to sit here and whine about people with “lesser” stats (and there are people with them that got accepted at my school with lower GPA and test scores). Instead, 1) I realize they’re looking for a well-rounded class and 2) there are deficiencies in my profile that I can work hard to change in the next month.</p>
<p>Don’t blame admissions. Don’t blame the process. Blame yourself if you didn’t give your best effort. If you did, there’s no reason to be ashamed of deferral. If you did, keep working for the next month to make that deferral an acceptance.</p>
<p>Well said about one door closing and another one opening res ipsa. I think many people on here are making assumptions about applicants on both sides. Just because students have lower test scores doesn’t mean they don’t work as hard or are as qualified as another student. On the other hand, I don’t like that people assume that a lot of students with high GPAs and test scores feel entitled to an acceptance and don’t put any effort into their application or essays. I’m pretty average when it comes to act and GPA, so I can see both sides. I’m sorry this thread has turned into such an argument starter!</p>
<p>I love this part of the year where kids show up on this board and start saying “whatever, the only reason I didn’t get in was because I’m not a minority! I don’t wanna go to this stupid school anyway!”</p>
<p>Lol.</p>
<p>Tina, admissions aren’t straight up GPA and test scores. </p>
<p>Oh, when I applied I just threw together my essay lol</p>
<p>@ThisIsMichigan Unfotunately, that’s part of the territory when you have 17-18 year olds facing disappointment. People will justify, make excuses for, and explain away anything. Accountability does exist- plenty of people in this thread show that- but it’s unsurprising to see complaining.</p>
<p>I know several highly qualified students who were deferred by Michigan that were accepted at higher ranked schools.</p>
<p>For some reason, Michigan seemed to defer some very talented students and accept some with lower stats.</p>
<p>@Veronicalo Yeah, they do. It’s called personality and intangibles. Michigan saw something different in the situations, essays, recs, etc. in those students that the high ranked schools didn’t.</p>
<p>I find it exceedingly humorous that I’m defending the school that deferred me, but I guess I’m just pretty disenchanted that the blame game rejected/deferred applicants and their Mommies and Daddies like to play as soon as they get an unfavorable responses. These schools do what they do for a reason. They don’t go, “Hey, Student X has a 3.6 and 27 and Student Y has a 3.8 and 29, better take Student X and ignore the rest of Student Y’s profile”. That’s why they call it holistic, which lends itself to perception and ambiguity. So if the chips don’t fall your way it’s a difference in perception, not an error on the part of admissions. Trust me, they want the best students and best environment they can get for their campus.</p>