@rjkofnovi I asked because the OP clearly has a strong passion for journalism and if they were able to become a Cherub, they clearly are a high caliber student who has a good shot at getting in.
OP, don’t listen to the panic over journalism and the job prospects out there. It’s largely over exaggerated.
Getting preadmited into Ross is very unlikely these days (harder than getting into LSA for OOS and as difficult as getting into the CoE. But getting into Ross once at Michigan, assuming one has the intellectual horsepower and stamina, is not nearly as difficult. The 37% admit rate is misleading. Many students with 2.5-3.3 GPAs apply. They virtually have no chance of getting in, and rightly so. Ross is the #2 BBS program in the country, only slightly weaker than Wharton and on par with Haas, Sloan. Stern, McIntire etc…Getting into such a program is reserved for only the best students. But students with 3.7+ GPAs and solid ECs are almost always admitted (close to 100%). Students with 3.4-3.6 GPAs stand a decent but not great chance (I would say 50-50).
I was told at a ROSS information session that ROSS does not differentiate in-state or out-state. They only pick the best.
I personally know a kid has 4.0 and 36 ACT who got into Princeton was rejected by Ross for pre-admission. He has great EC and essays. I also know another kid with similar achievement got rejected in May but got accepted in June. Go figure. There must be a secret waiting list.
Ross is as hard as Ivy for preferred. They only send out 150 pre-admissions a year, even though only 70-80 actually attend UM. The rest of 500 spots are for after freshman year. I also have 2 kids I knew who had 3.85 GPA but did not get in after first year. But my dd has many friends who are not that good all got in after first year. So it’s hard to say about regular admission.
Ross is my son’s first choice. He is applying EA. I am really worried for him. He only has 3.9+ UWGPA and 35 ACT, 6 APs but some are 4’s not 5’s. He does have many leadership positions including president of NHS, tennis captain. But his good friend is also applying. This kid is ranked 1 out of 1500+ kids. 10+ APs all 5’s. State soccer champion, captain. NHS president, etc. I just hope he decides to go to MIT and drop Ross. MIT did want him to be on their soccer team, so I hope the school accepts him.
For Ross, nobody is sure of anything.