<p>Which one does University of Michigan put more weight on?
Are extracurriculars necessary or a big part in order to get into this school?</p>
<p>.............</p>
<p>Okay then.</p>
<p>I don't think theres a specific formula. It depends on the applicant and the strength of each part of his/her application.</p>
<p>Each applicant might have different strengths in a variety of areas. In that case, is more weight put on one thing or another? Is one more important than the other? I don't understand how the admission process really works.</p>
<p>I personally think that ECs are icing on the cake. Unless you have some kind of outrageously amazing EC I can't imagine it doing much to outweigh test scores that are way off the mark. </p>
<p>ECs can be very helpful in helping the university get to know the applicant and see what kind of motivation and skills they have, but I don't see it as something that has the power to be a tipping point in an application.</p>
<p>What if the test scores are "in the mark" but not as high as everybody else's, but your extracurriculars out-do everyone else's?</p>
<p>That's too precise to say, in my opinion. It would probably help but it would just depend on the full picture, there is no established weight to each factor of an application.</p>
<p>I agree with Emaheevul07, EC's are really just the extra boost to get you in. For instance if you and someone else have the same ACT score, or GPA, you are more likely to get in if your EC's outshine the rest of the competition. However, overall UofM considers GPA and test scores as a greater importance than EC's. Sometimes if UofM sees you dedicate yourself too fully to your EC's and have a low ACT score, they may think you are neglecting your studies and do not have a good balance.</p>
<p>For instance, a person with a 3.85, a 29-30, and many many extracurriculars vs. a person with a 3.95, 30-32, and very little extracurriculars....?</p>
<p>Seriously, give it up. Nobody can give you an accurate answer to this question. You would just have to apply and see.</p>
<p>"For instance, a person with a 3.85, a 29-30, and many many extracurriculars vs. a person with a 3.95, 30-32, and very little extracurriculars....? "</p>
<p>Definitely the 3.95 with 30-32. Like Emaheevul07 has said, it's going to be a combination of everything, but if you're going to pick extremes, I think a 4.0/36/2400/never left the bedroom is going to win over the 2.0/20/1500/served in peace corps for 2 years.</p>
<p>im not saying the person has a 2.0/20/1500 and did all that. im saying a 3.8/28/1900 and all the extracurriculars.</p>
<p>you don't even wait 30 min and you triple post cause your angry no one is paying attention? In my 5 years time in online forums, thats a first.</p>
<p>Like others said, its a combination of a bunch of factors, there is no way to accurately answer your question. The only definite thing is that your GPA, your course rigor, and test scores make up the majority of the decision making. </p>
<p>And its often a mistake that students make when they overload their EC's and do all sorts of crap to make themselves look better. Colleges are interested in depth, not breadth. They want to see a couple of EC's where you put a lot of time into. So if your juggling 5 EC's and volunteer work, your wasting your time.</p>
<p>Tigersmash, why don't you just post your stats, and then we'll have a field day chancing you.</p>
<p>Tigersmash, there is a pdf somewhere on the michigan prospective student section of the admissions site that shows you pretty much the exact admit criteria. One section is for academic rigor, rigor of your school, class percentile, and score. A second section is the strength of your counselor and teacher recommendations. A third section is about adverse conditions you may have overcome to excel. A fourth section is 'leadership' style activities or evidence, which can include ecs, but also includes awards, recognition, or evidence of leadership in your life. Some of this can be garnered from your essays. Together, the evaluation of ALL of these factors make you one of the following:
High admit, admit, non-admit etc.
That sheet is what reviewers use to rate your candidacy, and it represents the totality of your submission.</p>
<p>So if an equally ranking, equal gpa and test scores student has super great recommendations, great essays and strong evidence of leadership through ECs, then yes, they'd beat the candidate without. But if the second candidate had stellar recommendations but few solid ecs, but some depth in a hobby such as, say, poetry, then they could easily beat the person with EC leadership (if the recommendations were stronger). </p>
<p>This is why it is impossible to answer, or even accurately chance students on this board. Umich really does attempt to view students holistically. That can be an advantage for some, and not for others. But remember that they're also building a "class" and that they want a nice mix of pure academics, leaders, artsies, etc. That is the best way to build an educational community -- to represent all the dimensions of human endeavor.</p>
<p>Apply, and give the best YOU in that application, and remember that they want to understand who you are, authentically. Write authentically, pick your best possible teachers for recommendations, and then be at peace with the process. Good luck.</p>