OT: Getting into UofM

Can you kick field goals?

luck! 

Besides the obvious grades & ACT scores, it's the extra stuff that shows you're a leader that will make the difference.  I was our class co-president and did a ton of volunteer work in high school, that's what made the difference for me.  Good luck!!

Apply as early as you can. Get a good gpa, do well on you ACT/SAT and have extra curriculars. I would say anything less than a 3.8 in high school is not good.

apply the very first day you can. and get a good ACT score. that should do it. sports are a plus, and show competence in your essays. 

Apply RIGHT NOW!  I know a kid who waited until January, and had basically the exact same application (GPA, ACT, and extra curriculurs) who didn't even get a sniff of interest.  Do it now, while you can, even though they say "it doesn't matter when you apply".  No reason to risk it.

I don't know how much this will help, but to give you an idea of myself as a candidate, I got in with a 3.7GPA and a 30 ACT score in 2005.  I think what really helped, though, was the fact that I spent a lot of my time volunteering, I had a job during high school, played sports, and was involved in class leadership (treasurer and then president).  I think that many schools, Michigan included, are looking for well rounded individuals that can provide different experiences and backgrounds to the university.  With how competitive the process is, grades are ultimately just one of the factors (albeit a large one).  Get involved, volunteer in the community, and meet some great people that can write you recommendations as a testament to your personality and work ethic.  Best of luck to you.

EDIT: Write your essay on something you're truly passionate about, not what you think they want to hear.  It will be evident in your writing.  Also, as mentioned above, apply ASAP.

I'm sending in my application next weekend. Hopefully my awesome test score can make up for my mediocre (by U of M standards) GPA. No, I cannot kick field goals.

I got into engineering with a 3.7 in highschool and not even top quarter in my high school class so I dont have a clue how they judge people. I do know for ACT/SAT for engineering they don't look at writing scores.

AP classes pull a lot of weight in the application process. Don't be afraid to list things that seem irrelevant to you on your extra-curricular section. Avoid talking about relationships in your essays. I got in with relatively little volunteer/extracurricular experience, mostly because I smoked my APs and wrote a good essay, and played some one-time volunteer sessions up a little on the application. Most of the time your application gets a cursory look before the first cut-down, this is when it's much more valuable to have 5 3-hour activities than 1 15-hour activity.

Good luck and Go Blue!

Be smart.

The university will look at multiple things. Obviously your GPA & ACT/SAT scores. If you take AP classes those will help you as well, because they re-weight those into your GPA if your high school did not. My high school didn't count that in our GPAs and it increased mine by .4 Also, being involved with athletics or any other extra curricular activities. Volunteering in your community will help as well. Find your high school advisor(s) and they will really help you also with what you are going to need. Write yourself a letter of recommendation of what you think will be your strong points, have your advisor look it over. This will also give you a template for you to give your teachers that you ask for letters. If you have any other questions just ask!

As everyone else has said, highish GPA, strong ACT score (if not in one area, show some clear balance), and reach out to some extracurriculars.  Join up with something today so you can put it on your application tomorrow.

I think I got into UofM because I took advanced math classes in high school (Differential Equations, Calculus III). My gpa was a shade under 3.5 and my SAT was a 1200 something. Well below average for the College of Engineering but few kids take Differential Equations in high school.

I don't mean to brag I was blessed with great teachers and the opportunity to take those classes. It was nice though because retaking them at Michigan made my first year easier.

Definately take the hardest classes your school has to offer.

I used to work for undergrad admissions until I graduated recently (not as a counselor, though). Without knowing your situation, here are two bits of advice (not exhaustive):

1) APPLY EARLY.  UM has rolling admissions, so the earlier you can get your application, the better your chances.  In fact, I would talk to potential teachers who could write rec letters for you at the end of this year, so they can start thinking.  You want to be that first student into the counselor's office to have your application ready to go ASAP.

2)  Challenge yourself.  UM will see how well you challenge yourself in the context of the opportunities offered at your high school.  A common question that comes up is, "Should I take the honors/AP class and get the B, or a regular class and get the A?"  Go for the challenge.

Also, if you have specific questions about the application process that cannot be answered by the general call center, write them out.  If you are able to come to Ann Arbor and visit the admissions office, you can ask the person at hte front desk for some help.  If your questions are really specific and cannot be answered by an assistant, the office has walk-in advising with an admissions counselor most of the time during the week.  You can call in ahead of time to check.

Hope this helps!

I got into Michigan twice (HS and transfer), but I didn't have any extracurriculars in high school. My essay was "KinesiologyNerd breaks leg, KinesiologyNerd learns lesson about setbacks/adversity" so nothing exceptional there. So, for me I'm guessing it was my HS GPA and ACT score. Good luck.

Oh yeah I'm also out of state.

I mean, you have to do well. But if you're at or above a 3.5 (unweighted) and took a ton of AP classes then you won't get booted for your GPA (I didn't).

But with that GPA you have to kill the SAT (or ACT) -- have a well rounded resume (clubs, sports, science fairs, etc) -- great references -- great essay -- and  apply early.

Most important advice: apply as early as possible.  

If you're in-state, GPA and ACT are basically all that matters if you apply early (by early, I mean breaking down the door to your counselor's office September 6th, 2011).  Obviously, don't write a terrible essays, but mediocre essays can get you in if you apply early.  Your essays and your extra-curriculars become increasingly important the later you apply.

If you're out-of-state, everything matters. Make sure you are concise, yet powerful with your essays. Try not to go over the word limit by too much. And have at least one strong leadership post in high school if possible (pres/vp of a club or a team captain).

Also, UofM moved to the Common App this year. I don't know how that will influence the admissions department, so I would keep up with any people that you know who are applying this year to gauge the change due the Common App.

Good luck man. I wish I would have been more driven in high school to get into Michigan as people like yourself are. Do everything you can and wether you get in or not, you will not have any regrets because you did your best.

Surprised at all this GPA talk, I got in with a 3.4 on a weighted scale in 2004 (two week response late in selection and no alumni in family).