Chance me University of Michigan or Williams Early Decision

Chance Me / Match Me
1

United States, Pennsylvania, Public High School, No legacy, Male

Intended major: 1. business 2. economics

GPA + SAT:

GPA: 3.85 UW (4.12 weighted)

SAT: 1510 (710 english 800 math)

Classes:

Freshmen year: Bio(H), Band, English(H) A, HS 101, Business, History(H), Phys Ed, Precalc (H), Spanish 2, and Health

Sophomore year: Accounting, AP Calc AB, AP Euro, AP Micro, Chem(H), English(H), PE, Spanish 3(H), Wind Ensemble (H).

4 on Calc AB, 4 on AP Micro, 3 on AP Euro

Junior year: AP Lang, AP Macro, AP Stats, AP US History, Career Dev, Spanish 4(H), Wind Ensemble (H)

5 on AP stats, 4 on AP Macro, 4 on APUSH, and 5 on AP LANG

Senior year courses: AP Literature and Composition, AP Government and Politics, AP Computer Science Principles, AP Human Geography, Anatomy and Physiology(H), Physics(H), Business Finance, Wind Ensemble (H)

Awards:

John Locke Essay Competition Finalist

All State Band (2x)

President’s Volunteer Service Award (Gold 2x, 250+ volunteer hours)

Region Band (2x)

District Band (2x)

TriM National Honor Society

National Honor Society

Extracurriculars:

Head of Clarinet Department for Non Profit Organization

Paid Teaching Internship at Korean Language School #2

Teachers Assistant for Korean Language School #1

FBLA regional winner

FBLA state qualifier

Youth Orchestra #1 Member (Sophomore year)

Youth Orchestra #1 Section Leader (Sophomore year)

Youth Orchestra#2 Member (Junior year)

Youth Orchestra #3 Member (Senior year)

Worked as a server for a senior home

Essays:

To be continued…

2

You have a fine record. Good luck.

Ps make sure your family can afford $325-350k for four years and that they want to for a huge public when there are a zillion less expensive substitutional schools.

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What are some examples of substitutional schools?

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Let’s see - most any flagship. What’s your major. Since you like U Mich, let’s start with some big 10 friends - U Wisc, UMN, Ohio State. And many more - UF, U Colorado, UGA, Texas, Texas A&, Alabama, UGA, UIUC, Indiana, Penn State…name your large flagship.

What is your area of interest in business ?

What is your end goal ?

If your family is ok with the cost, then great.

It’s a large flagship. How I see it.

Good luck to you.

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  1. Finance, if I don’t get in for finance my second pick would be econ
  2. I don’t really know, maybe thinking some high paying finance job like investment banking potentially but again, I don’t really know

I think my parents would be okay with the cost

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This is something you need to be 100% sure of before applying ED to a school that will run $80k/year. Get a DEFINITE answer before proceeding with ED!

Regarding your chances, I’ve seen kids with lower stats get in to Michigan and kids with higher stats rejected. So it’s difficult to chance you.

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What would you say for Williams College?

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For Michigan you’re an avg applicant. Which is a good thing. :wink:.

Is AP Calc AB the highest math you can take in your sequence? Michigan is a mathy school. AP stats is more of a fun class not looked upon as a rigorous one.

With like 100,000 applying it’s a toss up. Have affordable schools also.

If your family can afford it there is nothing wrong with going to an expensive school. But you make your own opportunities. Michigan will give you the path forward

Taking advantage of the opportunities is key.

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9

Not the highest math I can take in my sequence, believe there is Calculus BC and Multivariable as well but I did not take those because I did not perform well in AB.

Could you elaborate how being average in the michigan admissions process is a good thing? It seems a bit counterintuitive.

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So you want to be on Wall Street ?

If you’re asking about Williams, then you shouldn’t ED to Michigan.

Indiana is the most similar. If interested in Wall Street, look at the Arizona State IBIS program.

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Williams and UM are such different schools it is hard to believe you don’t have a preference.

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I haven’t really though that far yet; lately, I’ve been trying to live in the moment more and decide where to spend the next four years based on fit, tuiton, location, etc.

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I made two seperate posts so a moderator combined them into one. I’m really torn between going to a lac and a big state school; on one hand I really love the idea of lacs and having a small student body interested in academia and studying, but I’m also really worried theres gonna be zero social life. I would say I’m very academically and career focused, but need socialization.

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Unless you have need, these are both really expensive. You can’t study business at Williams.

What’s your budget ?

Definitely don’t ED.

Have you visited schools? These are so vastly different. You’ll likely find one to like vs the other. If an LAC is too small, how about a 5-10k school - U Denver is strong for business. Case, Rochester, Elon, Brandeis, Richmond etc.

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I understand but these are really at the opposite ends of the spectrum. What about an in-between sized option?

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I think that students find opportunities for social life in both small and big schools. But students also often have preferences for school size. Have you visited these schools (or other small and big schools) and did you get a sense of what you preferred?

Some large universities have honors colleges or living learning communities that create the sense of a smaller community within a big school. Would that appeal to you?

Further thought: I see a lot of band and orchestra in your original post, is this something you want to be involved in during college? You might look into what different schools have to offer in this area, as this can vary. Band and orchestra can also form a nice community within a school. (It’s been very important for both of my kids.)

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I will def think more about it. What about UVA? It seems like an in between.

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It’s another high priced school - you said budget matters.

What can your family spend ? What are they willing to spend ?

Business is not direct admit there. Do you want to study business? Or Econ ?

They are vastly different majors.

If you have a budget - you noted above, you are trying to decide where to be based on tuition amongst other things - then how about Miami Ohio. Great b school. You’ll be roughly half the cost (maybe a bit more or less) of UVA.

If you want to study finance first, then go to a school that’s direct admit. If you aren’t gunning for investment banking, then save your money - the where isn’t going to matter that much.

You need a budget from your parents. In one sense you say you think they’re ok paying. In another you note tuition a consideration.

Have that discussion - mom/dad, I can spend $380, 400k on college. $100k. Or somewhere in between. What are you able and willing to spend. Even if able to spend a lot, make sure you will not be straining their quality of life.

Two things I’ve learned from this thread:

  1. Don’t ED Michigan - you’re not sold on it
  2. If finance is your first choice major, don’t apply to Williams at all

You keep mentioning names you see in a rank - because I’ll counter with subs and you come with another high priced, high ranked school. In most cases, that will matter little.

If they’re right for you fit and affordability then great. If not, there’s many lower cost subs and they’ll all have equally strong students - maybe not the entirety of the class but far more kids than you realize.

Take a look at Babson and Bentley to see if that type of school appeals - business focused but in consortiums with others to take more classes.

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What can your family spend ? What are they willing to spend ?

No budget as long as its UVA/UMICH prestige or above.

If you aren’t gunning for investment banking, then save your money

I haven’t thought that far as to what I want to do 100%, but after researching the past day or so I will say that it is now my top career option at the moment.

Take a look at Babson and Bentley to see if that type of school appeals - business focused but in consortiums with others to take more classes.

Honestly with all due respect, both of those schools cost more than Umich/UVA and aren’t even close in terms of prestige. I am only interested in T30s (mainly Umich/UVA as those are the most realistic given by college profile). If I don’t get into any of those I will go to my best option and then work on transferring to a better school my sophomore year.

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Further thought: I see a lot of band and orchestra in your original post, is this something you want to be involved in during college? You might look into what different schools have to offer in this area, as this can vary. Band and orchestra can also form a nice community within a school. (It’s been very important for both of my kids.)

If I am being honest I am probably going to quit playing my instrument as soon as I start college.

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