What are my chances of getting into the University of Michigan?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Michigan
1

Hi - I am a senior at a very small (145 kids in my class) high school in rural Iowa, but have absolutely fallen in love with the University of Michigan.

I have a composite score of 30 on the ACT, and a writing score of 11.
My class rank is 1 out of 145.
I have a 4.0 GPA on an unweighted, 4.0 scale. This includes college (dual enrollment) and AP classes.
I have taken AP Language and Composition, and received a 5 on the AP exam. This May, I will take the AP Micro, AP Macro, and AP Literature tests. I have not taken more AP classes because our school only offers one AP class “in house” (AP Literature, available only to seniors advanced in English) and last year, I began the pilot program for online AP classes. My AP Lang, AP Micro, and AP Macro classes are online.

I was advanced a year ahead in English, Spanish, Science, and Math classes; however, my school does not offer ‘honors’ versions of these courses. The best you can do is take a class a year early - for example, a sophomore taking Algebra II, which is traditionally for juniors at my school.

My extracurriculars are as follows:

  • Student Council (Class Secretary grades 9-11, Courtesy Commissioner grades 10-11, Lieutenant Governor grade 11, Village Leader grade 12)
  • Mock Trial (Varsity all four years - senior season not yet started, only four-year varsity member in the class of 2018, three state qualifications, two regional championships, two state placewinning years, several all-regional outstanding witness/attorney awards, several all-state honorable mention witness/attorney awards)
  • Coaching Mock Trial (Junior year I helped lead two middle school teams to state, and led one team to the finals for a state runner-up award)
  • Dance (thirteen years, with a seven-year focus on pointe ballet; am dancing the lead role in this year’s production)
  • Cross Country (participated grades 9-11, leading JV member freshman year and alternate for varsity team, varsity sophomore and junior years. Part of the state qualifying team sophomore year)
  • Best Buddies (grades 10-12, serve as a “peer buddy” and am matched with a special needs student to plan and participate in activities with)
  • Individual Speech (state qualifier junior year, senior year TBD)
  • Work as a cook/cashier/waitress at the local bowling (grades 10-11, approx. 15 hours a week)
  • Work as a Certified Nurse’s Aide at a long-term care facility (required 75 hours of training, state certification. Have been there since July and intend to stay through next August. I am one of our facility’s most reliable employees and have recently been promoted to someone who may train new hires. I work approx. 35 hours a week, evenings and overnight shifts)
  • Foreign Language Club (grades 9-11)

I also led the organization of this year’s suicide prevention week, and for three years, have organized our community’s child-safe trick-or-treating event. I am in charge of our school’s Teacher Appreciation Week and was a religious education teacher and Communion coordinator as a freshman and sophomore.

My honors include a Scholastic Writing Silver Key and acceptance to University of Iowa’s Belin-Blank National Scholar’s Institute freshman and sophomore years (two subjects: creative writing and evolutionary developmental biology.)

I have high hopes for my personal essay regarding a challenge faced in my life. I was sexually assaulted when I was younger and I cannot imagine a more eye-opening experience that has defined me and my goals for the future. I have every intention of joining university efforts to spread awareness of campus rape and hope to make my past experiences into something positive for once.

I intend to study a double major of political science and psychology on the pre-law track.

Thank you so much if you actually read this!! If anyone could shed any light on my chances, that would be much appreciated!!

2

You should plan for a retake of ACT or try SAT as soon as possible. Your test s ore is below the 25th percentile for admission while you are from OOS. UMich is a high reach for you as of now.

3

Should I wait for regular decision season and re-take the ACT in December, as opposed to applying Early?

4

Do you have your fiances worked out? UM is going to cost you +$160k. It is very hard to justify going OOS from one B1G state to another. That is money you may want to save for Law School.

5

The +$160k is the cost above what U Iowa will cost. You mentioned in your other post that you had already been accepted. The amount would likely be more because I didn’t include the Iowa Scholars Award (+10k).

6

The cost difference is not a fixed number. One has to check the NPC. UMich does meet the need of OOS students with family income below $90k. It may even turned out to be cheaper than some other public schools for instate students in some cases.

For OP, you should not wait. RD is rolling. You may apply EA if you want and you will likely get deferred to RD anyway.

7

If you are intent on going to law school, then save your money for a high-quality law school. The difference that attending U of M over U Iowa in preparing you for law school is minimal at best; your admission to law school is going to be more dependent on your undergraduate grades and recommendations, and your LSAT scores, than on the name of where you got your undergraduate degree. Also, I think that law schools are looking more favorably on candidates who don’t go directly from undergraduate school to law school, but have some life experience between; so that is something you may want to think about as well.

8

  1. I wouldn’t stress too too much about your ACT if you can’t get it up. While it is below the middle 50 I think being from a rural area without the kind of test prep available to many students from the northeast and northern burbs of Chicago will be taken into consideration. Being on track for Valedictorian will help as will your extra-cirriculars, your personal story and your discussion of what you would bring to campus ( which is a very important issue right now)

  2. As billcsho said, UMich now gives excellent need based aid to OOS students. So don’t assume it’s too pricy til you use the Net Price Calculator.

9

Being a rural applicant is a hook simply because there are so few. Make sure to emphasize that in your essays and apply before Nov 1! A small number of urbanized counties represent the vast majority of in-state students, and a small number of high schools the OOS students. Try to increase your ACT a few points, that will definitely help.

You probably won’t be admitted to Ross or Engineering with that ACT, but you have a much better shot at LSA, Nursing, Kineseology, etc.

10

BUMP

I have applied EA to LSA with an interest in political science and psychology.

11

You are just going to have to wait, only the adcom knows. You are more likely to be admitted with a higher ACT.

12

Update: I’m in!!

13

Congrats!

14

Congrats!

15

Congrats!

16

Hello ! Can you guys please give me feedback on my chances on acceptance to the university? I have applied via Regular Decision already to the College of LSA with a major of Computer Science. Please be honest and alert me of anything I can do given my situation.

I am a high school senior from Saint Louis, MO (African American with 2 younger siblings)
I am a first generation student with parents who immigrated from Nigeria (family income below 25K)

ACT: 27 Writing: 8
SAT: 1120 (I accidentally put in on Common Application but will not send official)
GPA: 3.635 (unweighted) and 3.802 (weighted)

I have taken 6 dual enrollment courses through Saint Louis University

This year I am taking AP Calculus and 2 other dual enrollment classes through SLU

Honors:
National Honor Society (10-12)
Student of the Month (12)
Semester Honor Roll (9-12)

Extra Curriculars:
Future Business Leaders of America (10-12)
Varsity Basketball - Team Captain (9-12)
Fellowship of Christian Athletes (10-12)
Track and Field (9) - I shouldn’t have put this on there
Country Club Bagroom Employee (11-12)
Peer Minister (12)
National Honor Society (10-12)
Robotics (12)
Summer Basketball Camp Counselor (10-12)
Black History Month Council (11-12)

In my essay I spoke about how enrolling in college as a first generation student would have a bigger impact on my family than people would actually thing and my motivation for being not only the student I am but person as well.

I have already expressed to my admissions counselor about my heavy interest in the university and included how I visited campus in my application.

My only fear is because I applied via Regular Decision will be there be enough space for me to be accepted? Plus do my ACT score and GPA make me a competitive applicant giving my situation.