<p>I have strong stats overall, except for ACT. It's a 26, which is WAY below their average. I haven't received a decision yet, but I'm 99% sure I'm going to get rejected. Was it worth paying $75, writing the essays, getting the recs (and stress over them because my English teacher forgot to write it until two days before it was due), and slaving away at school to ensure I had all As? If I was asking as a prospective student, would you recommend me to not apply? Don't give me that "anything is possible!" crap unless you truly mean it. If you were in my place, or if your child was in my place, would you still tell them to apply? Thanks.</p>
<p>It’s always worth it to apply if you truly want to attend the school. I applied to a couple of schools that were long shots for me and didn’t get in, but I’ll never have to wonder what the outcome would have been. To be honest, as cliche as it sounds, sometimes the school will surprise you. I got a scholarship that I never thought I was competitive for here at Michigan. </p>
<p>No matter the outcome, yes, I would still have told you to apply. </p>
<p>I was sort of in the same situation as you. I have a very strong GPA and have taken as many APs as possible, but I got a 26 on the ACT, and that honestly scared me greatly. When I applied, I seriously didn’t think I really had much of a chance all because of my score. Luckily UofM has a holistic review process so I wasn’t entirely screwed, even though all of the odds seemed against me otherwise. I ultimately got accepted into the College of Engineering, to my amaze, so I do think one has a chance, regardless of having a below-admission-average ACT score.</p>
<p>One thing I must note is that I am from Michigan, so I’m sure that played at least some part in me getting accepted, however there is still a chance nevertheless. Is it worth the stress if you’re applying from out-of-state with a 26? Probably not, unless you can really bring something to the table that no other applicant really can.</p>
<p>Mythic, may I ask when was this? Was it this year, or before? Thanks!</p>
<p>I found out I was accepted yesterday.</p>
<p>You can never early know what a college looks for … These college admissions are sort of a blackbox …
You say your application is strong, and that counts for a lot …
GPA EC’s LOR’s and Essays matter a lot … and can easily compensate for a poor ACT …
I think it was definitely worth applying ! Good luck :)</p>
<p>@literaryessay More importantly, why do you want to apply to Michigan? Something that you can’t get elsewhere? I am not asking this to discourage you, but to be sure that Michigan is not the beginning and end of the world for you. If you look at Michigan as just one of the many good schools out there (perhaps with the added hype for it in recent years), you could just apply in peace, take it if you get it, and not feel devastated if you don’t. </p>
<p>A strong application can make up for one weak spot. I was accepted with strong recs/essays, probably good ECs, and a 36 ACT with only an officially uncalculated but around 3.3-3.4 GPA.</p>
<p>“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” - Wayne Gretzky quotes from BrainyQuote.com.</p>