There are actually a couple of Universities of Michigan… or rather, they have multiple campuses. However, when most people say the University of Michigan or U Mich, they mean the flagship campus in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The Ann Arbor campus is one of the oldest colleges in the state and one of the oldest American research universities (it was founded in 1817.) U Mich is a large school with over 30k undergrads.
From academics to research to sports, Michigan is kind of good at everything. And it is almost always a top-ranked public school and an elite school in general. Usually, the acceptance rate is around 20ish%; however, that comes with a big caveat (more on that in a minute.) So you might be asking yourself, “Can I get in?” Maybe! We don’t know you. The real answer is that you need to be a great candidate. There are a couple of things that you need to do to be a top U Mich candidate, and today, we’re gonna break them down.
*One note before we get into it *
Your chances are higher if you are a Michigan resident. Generally, Michigan’s incoming classes are made up of 50% in-state students and 50% out-of-state students. You still need to be a good student, but your chances will be higher if you live in Michigan. In 2022, U Mich students came from all 50 states and 99 countries. So when we say their acceptance rate is around 20%, that is a mixture of a higher in-state rate and a much lower out-of-state rate. Tl;dr: if you are not a Michigan resident, it is super hard to get in.
What does Michigan look for?
Michigan uses a holistic application process, which means they will examine everything in your application to get a more complete picture of you. However, some parts of your application are more important than others. Michigan publishes how it weighs these factors in two places: a blog on its website and a yearly document called the Common Data Set. We are going to use both of these sources. First, let’s look at the Common Data Set.
Pay close attention to the factors they mark as “important” and “very important.” You want to make sure your application slays in these categories.
Academic Preparation
The first thing Michigan looks for is Academic Preparation, and they do this through a couple of factors.
The easiest one to think about is your cumulative GPA. In short, you should have an excellent GPA. Last year, the average applicant had a 3.9 unweighted.
These are high GPAs, and you should strive to have the same. However, having a high GPA isn’t enough. You should also be taking challenging classes.
U Mich says that they evaluate academic preparation in part based on “The quality of your curriculum (solid college preparation, strength of courses, what courses you’ve taken based on what is available in your high school, such as AP, IB, or honors, etc.)” TL;DR: they want you to take rigorous classes. Take the most challenging courses your school offers.
They also want to see your “Specific academic interests.” Basically, you want it to be obvious what you want to study based on your application. This starts with classes. For example, if you want to major in history, you need to take the most rigorous history courses offered at your school. But it's more than that. You should also be president of a history club, do an internship at a local historical society, and take a summer course on history at a university's summer program or online, for example. You want to show that you are following your academic passions inside and outside of class. The more you can establish your academic niche, the better.
They will also look at your test scores (if you submit them.) Right now, Michigan is test-optional; however, they highly recommend sending SAT or ACT scores. These scores will help them assess your academic preparedness and they note them as “important.” Pretty much if you can, you should send scores. Ideally, your scores should fall in or above their average range. Last year, that range was between 31-34 on the ACT and 1350-1530 on the SAT.
Extracurricular Preparation
Not everyone with a 4.0 gets into Michigan, duh. You need to be the complete package, and part of that is having interesting and dynamic extracurriculars. Michigan says:
“Show us how the combination of coursework and related activities inspired original thinking on your part. What you’ve done beyond simply taking AP courses is a very important consideration for admission. It speaks to what kind of person you are and how well you might do in a dynamic, multifaceted campus community.”
Yes, chef; heard, chef. You need to crush the extracurricular game. They want you to push yourself to get involved and go for opportunities. As we said before, some of your extracurriculars should be connected to what you want to study, but not all of them need to be. Follow your passions and see how far you can take them.
Write a Great Essay
You need great recommendations and essays. While you have to trust your teachers to showcase your positive abilities and personal qualities when it comes to recommendations, it's on you to deliver excellent essays.
You need your Common App essay to absolutely eat. Great Common App essays do a couple of things:
Showcase a couple of positive personal characteristics
Tell a good story
Do 1 and 2 in a well-written and creative manner.
This might sound simple, but it can be a lot for just 650 words. If you don’t know where to start, we have a ton of blogs that can help. However, if you are still worried, reach out—we would be happy to help!
U-M also asks for two other essays as part of its supplement. They aren’t particularly hard, but they do require a bit of research into the school and its offerings. Our biggest tip is not to skimp on the research and to take your time to formulate solid answers. Surprise, surprise, we also have a blog on it if you need more.
Application Rating
U Mich uses a review system to assess applications.
They say, “The U-M application reviewers rate each applicant with respect to the following criteria:
Secondary School Academic Performance
Educational Environment
Counselor and Teacher Recommendation
Essays
Awards/honors, involvement, leadership, and service”
Ideally, you want to be classified as either “Outstanding” or “Excellent.”
Here is what they say about them:
Outstanding: All of the applicant’s materials exemplify superior and/or exceptional characteristics that contribute to the specific evaluation categories.
Excellent: The applicant’s materials illustrate extremely strong, but not exceptional, characteristics. The reviewer may have a reservation, but there are enough redeeming features to compensate for, or outweigh, the reservation.”
They can also rate applicants as “Good” (if they aren’t academically competitive enough), “Average” (if there are substantial concerns about your overall strength), or “Poor” (if the reviewer detects serious deficiencies). You really want to be outstanding to get in.
It isn’t easy getting into Michigan. You need to work hard to be a competitive and, thus, outstanding student. You need to be the whole package. If that sounds hard (cause a kind of just is), we can help!
Want an expert in your corner? We have you covered! Contact us here.