Of course I realize that no one can tell for sure the chance of one getting accepted, but I’m curious. I posted one of these a few months ago seeing if I could have a chance on getting into a Ivy school, but clearly that’s not happening. Anyway, here’s my stats:
GPA:4.0(UW) 5.0(W)
Class Rank:1
ACT: 29 composite, 32 superscore
Extra Cirriculars: Cross-Country, National Honor Society, Best-Buddies, Basketball, Track, Key Club, Volleyball, and Special Olympics
Class Rigour: Only ever taken AP or honors classes. My senior year schedule contains difficult classes including AP Physics, AP Literature, Duel-Credit Programming, etc.
Thanks! If you want to know more information about my school life, just @ me.
UMich does not superscore ACT (most schools don’t anyway). ACT 29 is below the 25th percentile at UMich so it would be a each for you from OOS.
@billcsho I’d like to point out that even though they don’t superscore, you can still send them more than one test. Can you explain what OOS is?
OOS = Out of State applicant
GPA is perfect and class rank is 1, despite a fairly average ACT score for these schools (below average for Michigan).
If you are OOS at both, I’d say your chances are:
Michigan: 30% (high match)
Wisconsin: 50% (match)
You should definitely add at least one safety to your list of applications - maybe your own state flagship school. Also, given your valedictorian status and 4.0 GPA, I think you should add some reaches - someone might overlook the ACT and focus on your class rank and GPA. Throw an app at Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, MIT, Columbia, Chicago, or Penn. Send in two apps to schools from the group of Dartmouth, Brown, Cornell, Duke, Northwestern and Johns Hopkins. And three apps at the group just below them: Vanderbilt, Rice, Washington U in St. Louis (WUSTL), Georgetown, Notre Dame, Emory, Tufts, USC, NYU, Boston College.
I feel like your GPA and class rank will get you into at least one of those.
The University of Michigan and the University of Wisconsin are great research schools with big international reputations, and you can get a great education at either of them. But those elite private schools I mentioned are also very strong, obviously, and it won’t hurt to have additional options.
@prezbucky Thanks for the reply! I’m not going to lie, I’m deathly afraid of getting rejected from all these schools because my ACT score despite all my work I’ve put in during high school. I’ve never been a strong standardized test taker. Before I took the ACT, I was really happy that I had at least a slim chance of getting into some of these top schools. Unfortunatly, I didn’t do well for my liking and it kinda destroys my application.
I look at Michigan’s average ACT, and according to collegedata.com it’s between 28-32. I’m not sure what billcho was talking about, but a 29 isn’t below the bottom %25 
Relax.
As long as you don’t mind spending the time and money researching those top private schools and working on those apps, you’re fine.
Many here think that class standing, academic rigor and GPA are at least as important as – and likely more important than – test scores.
Now, some of the very elite schools (on the top line) require SAT II test scores. Your chances at those schools is small, but if you want to party, you have to buy the cup… and take those tests.
I bet you’ll get into a Boston College, Emory, NYU… and maybe a Rice or Tufts.
And Michigan or UW. And your safety.
Do the work and you should have a juicy choice to make.
I’d get a tutor / prepscholar/ etc and make one more push to get a better score on the Sept ACT. Michigan cares a lot more about GPA than ACT. You are competitive at both schools with your GPA, a little under ACT average for Michigan LSA and way under average for CoE, but around average at UW-Madison.
You would push your chances higher with a 2-3 point improvement on the ACT. That is realistically achievable in a few months. You don’t mention your state, but with your current scores you’d be >50% at Umich and >75% at UWM in-state. OOS I’d drop the chances slightly.
If you can get your ACT score to 32+, additional scholarship money becomes available at many schools.
Naviance and Cappex will also give you estimates.
Applying EA will also help.
@prezbucky I don’t doubt your intentions but those tiers seem rather arbitrary and self-serving.
@JackLuzzy If you are referring to collegedata.com, you are not looking at the latest admission stat. The admission mid 50 for UMich last year was 30-33 (29-33 for 2012 and 2013).
http://admissions.umich.edu/apply/freshmen-applicants/student-profile
The OOS admission rate last year was 27% and it is likely around 20% this year.
You may send multiple ACT scores, but they don’t superscore. They will look at your section score from different attempts though, for instance, Math for CoE.
Thanks guys for the replays. I’m also have a chance on getting a full ride to these schools though the Posse Scholarship. I’ve made it into the interview rounds. No doubt it’ll be hard to win, but it’s worth a shot. I almost find it crazy how compared to many schools a 29 is a bad score, yet it’s in the 93 percentile. I guess I’m just aiming really high.
If you are looking at the top 30 schools in the country, they are the top 1% schools. While a 93 percentile is merely the top 7%.
@billcsho I wasn’t aware the Michigan and Wisconsin were in the top 30 schools…
Remember that some real live people get in with lower stats and that includes some lower stat OOS students this year for UMich. Posse can be a great way to get in. Give it your best shot and good luck!!
@JackLuzzy Wisconsin is not within top 30, but UMich is. For Wisconsin, ACT 29 is above admission average. For UMich, it is below the 25th percentile.
Yes, 29 will give you a better chance of getting into UW than Michigan.
Comparing program rankings between Michigan and Wisconsin, we see that while Michigan is ranked ahead of Wisconsin in most programs, it is not ranked that far ahead of Wisconsin in very many programs. And Wisconsin is ranked ahead of Michigan in some programs. Regardless, both are top-25 in a great many majors, so you will receive a very good education at either school if you apply yourself and are disciplined.
@prezbucky Thanks for the reply. I’m looking on majoring in some type of enginnerring. I’ve heard great things about UW enginnering program. In terms of Michigan, I’ve heard they have a strong STEM program. I’m not so much concerned with which one has the slightly better * enter specific field,* but rather that they just have a strong one in general.
Ranking does not really matter that much as long as they are ABET acredited. For UMich engineering, all majors except ChemE are within the top 10 in the country, while ChemE is just right outside of top 10. While Wisconsin has ChemE and IE within top 10.
I think you’re approaching it properly. You are right about UW Engineering and Michigan STEM programs.
If you have not visited the campuses, I advise it. You might prefer one over the other, which is something that you’d do well to consider in your decision. It’s part of the crucial “Fit” variable.
If you need any ideas for what to see in Madison, be sure to check out:
- Memorial Union and the Terrace (grab lunch while looking out onto Lake Mendota)
- Library Mall/State Historical Society
- Bascom Hill & Hall (good views)
- State Street
- The Engineering building
The first four things are all pretty close to each other – easily walkable. To walk the entirety of State Street, from Memorial Library to the capital building, is a bit of a hike… but it’s an interesting one.
The Engineering building is pretty cool. To us non-engineers it looks like it is made of, or at least covered with, plastic.
There is also a stream engineered to flow uphill, but I’m not sure how to describe its location.
You might want to look at Purdue as well - It’s been ranked a top engineering school and computer science school. With your credentials you may be able to find scholarships - although these schools don’t hand out too many of them.
@momofcs With OP’s stat, admission at Purdue is very possible. But for scholarship, it is not likely.