So on this feed I see a lot of people asking about their chances for getting into Michigan LSA. They’ll say they have a 33 ACT, which is a fairly strong score anywhere, they’ve taken a bunch of AP’s and ec’s, but then in the comments people just say “you’re a reach.” So I come from a fairly small town in northern Michigan where going to Michigan is kind of like the thing to do if you’re smart and are the valedictorians/salutatorians. It’s just how it is, the top kids in schools in my county consider Michigan their top school when they apply. The salutatorian at my school 2 years ago got in with a 3.78, (I know what you’re thinking, 3.78 was salutatorian that year? Yikes! It was a bad class). Anyway, he got in with pretty average ac’s of a “well rounded student”, and he even thinks he only got in because of his extremely well written common app essay about how he didn’t get into NHS. However, what it can come down to is influence. His parents own a very large business in the area that is known throughout the state. He had an older brother that went to Michigan also. A boy at another school in the county got in and he had a known disciplinary record, his only ec’s were sports, and his ACT was a 27. But his dad is a dentist and Michigan Alum. So telling someone that is truly a strong applicant that it’s a “reach” really isn’t your place to say. People that are far less qualified have gotten in, mostly due to their parents.
My beef with University of Michigan "Chance Me for LSA" and people talking about "minimum standards"
Very well stated. The thing some people do not understand is that kids are competing with other kids at their own school, and secondarily in their own district. You don’t compete with the whole nation.
That’s why chance threads are pretty much worthless.
@MaineLonghorn I wouldn’t say they’re worthless. You get an unbiased opinion on your stats, which are just a piece in the puzzle. Of course, you can write a perfect essay that may offset your average stats
“Unbiased” does not equal “educated.” I think a LOT of posters have no idea what they’re talking about, and it’s misleading.
Chance me and I’ll chance you!!! Yeah, great.
I have no idea what I’m talking about but I post my opinion as fact every time.
Michigan also heavily gives preferences to legacies (i.e., students who have a parent who is an alum) especially if they are full pay. I know numerous legacies admitted, but the legacies mostly need decent stats (gpa, course rigor and test scores) that are in the ballpark of mid 50 percent of the freshman class profile. But some get in with stats in the bottom quarter percentile also.
Love the “You have a really great chance of getting into Harvard!” or “You are a shoe in for Yale” These chancings are given by other high school students who have no clue what they are talking about.
When you ask a board of strangers to be “chanced” you’re going to get misinformation. Some feedback will be excellent, some will be weak, some will be completely ridiculous.
But here’s the thing…beggers can’t be choosers. If you want to open yourself up to armchair scrutiny, you get what you get.
Most folks applying to UMich are looking at data points for their GPA and test scores. They’re reading about their odds in and out of state, as a first generation student, or as a legacy. They’re running their numbers in admissions calculators. They already have a pretty good idea of whether or not they’re likely to get in. They, personally, probably have as good a guess as anyone. And of course there will always be anomalous acceptances and rejections.
If people ask to be chanced, they get what they get. No one is mean spirted. People are trying to be helpful.
Posts that complain about people making inaccurate or what they consider unfair guesses do only one thing:
They make posters much less willing to chance people.
@as1799 The problem with these threads is that you have high school seniors advising other high school seniors and their perspectives etc., are often based on very small samples. Having worked with a number of outreach programs, I’ve found Michigan’s process to be very idiosyncratic and holistic. Grades and scores are important but if a student is unique in some way, Michigan will be attracted to them. In that sense, it is much more like a highly selective private university than the University of California. Look at past years’ threads and you’ll see how many “high scoring, high grade” applicants were surprised when they weren’t admitted.
How do you know why these students got in or how qualified they were compared to other applicants? Did you read their apps or sit in on the admissions meetings? If not, your statements are just as much opinion as the ones you’re complaining about.
“But his dad is a dentist and Michigan Alum.”
“Michigan also heavily gives preferences to legacies (i.e., students who have a parent who is an alum) especially if they are full pay.”
Really?
Btw, admissions are in general not aware of whether an applicant is full pay.
How do I know? Because they had what would be considered “weak” ACT scores for Michigan, were not strong students, and their only extracurriculars were sports.