The University of Michigan is an incredibly popular school. A lot of TKG clients come to us for help with their Michigan application, we receive an abundance of questions about Michigan from blog readers, and almost everyone wants to know why the school is so popular.
It is undeniable that Michigan has a lot to offer. The academic programs are impressive, the alumni network is strong, and the school is Fun with a capital F. The school spirit is infectious. And the acceptance rate is dropping, yes, but the school is still accessible for students with a solid grades and good test scores.
With all of that being said, it is also true that when working with TKG clients, we get a lot of questions about the application. Let’s go through some of them, shall we?
“I’m confused by the website. How do I find classes?”
If you are at all familiar with our blog, you should know by now that you need to write about specific classes in your “Why X School” supplement.
But we have heard from a lot of students that Michigan’s website is not the most user-friendly, and we have to agree. We have also heard from students that their classmates feel the same way. This is not an excuse to give up on finding classes and professors (it’s not that hard) but here are a few tips:
Plug course names into google if you can only find a PDF of offerings for your major. Example: “ACC 301 + University of Michigan + syllabus.” Just make sure that you’re not looking at a syllabus from 2005.
Google faculty members instead of exclusively looking for them on the website
Refine what you’re looking for by adding an area of expertise. For example, google “University of Michigan faculty + machine learning”
“What schools are similar to Michigan?”
“How do I apply to Ross, and is the application different from the other schools at Michigan?”
In addition to completing the Michigan supplement that we wrote about here, business school hopefuls also need to complete the Ross Admissions Portfolio. There are two requirements:
A business case discussion: you’ll choose a current event or issue in your community and discuss the business implications, then propose a solution that incorporates business practices.
Artifact and description: upload an artifact that represents something significant about your life and shows how you’ve put learning into action. (Michigan gives you a list of options on the website, but feel free to think outside of box.)
For the business case discussion, an issue that we run into often is that students come up with responses that are not true “business solutions” because their proposed solutions require government intervention. Also, do not gloss over the fact that the prompt asks you to choose an event or issue in your community. Think small, and pick something that you genuinely care about and have been exposed to.
Can I transfer into Ross?”
The short answer is yes. However, per this website, about 80% of the class is enrolled as high school seniors.
The link above will outline the process of transferring into Ross from another institution, and from another school within Michigan. It should be noted that only 5% of students at Ross transfer in from another institution, and about 100 students in each BBA class at Ross transfer in from another major at Michigan. Also, you can only apply to Ross once.
More than 65,000 students applied to Michigan last year, so we are hoping that this information helps to demystify the process. If you’re serious about going to Michigan, make sure you do the research!
If you need help with your application, contact us here.