<p>I have guaranteed acceptance to UMich through gross connections. My issue with this is my GPA and ACT scores are below their average (but my ECs are not and I may be able to get my ACT up to the mid 50%, I am also instate). Now some of my friends two of which who are attending UMich are calling me selfish for NOT using my connections. Now I would not slack off or anything and work to deserve that spot when I got there but my issue is taking the spot of someone who earned it in high school. I am sure this is going to upset some people so if you could just focus on the question I appreciate it.</p>
<p>First of all, how do you know your connections are guaranteed??
Second of all, by definition, half of all admitted students have GPA & ACT scores below the average. The fact that you may fall into that half doesn’t mean you don’t deserve a spot.</p>
<p>the dean of admissions to u of m is a friend of the family just saying thats how i know</p>
<p>You don’t have to get your ACT to the mid 50%, you may only need like 1 more point to be in the bottom 25%,which is a legitimate score for admission, you know.<br>
The GPA might be a little harder, but you could view being admitted as provisionally contingent on your getting a 2.5 or higher in school there. It’s not like you have a sub-3.0 GPA.</p>
<p>I can see how you feel hesitant. I don’t want to lead you astray, but your current ACT score only needs a 1 point rise IMO. </p>
<p>I think I would work myself to death in the first half of senior year, and if I got all As or 1 B and all A’s, I would feel that had I gotten it together earlier, I wouldn’t have this ethical dilemma,and that obviously I am U. Minn material. by the way, I would continue to keep getting all those A’s so that I would have a year of solid A’s at the end of senior yr, which has to improve your GPA somewhat, at least to a 3.4. Which is striking range. </p>
<p>Ad coms have discretion over who they pick, in the end. </p>
<p>Hope I haven’t led us both down that slippery slope!</p>
<p>I think the very fact that you’re bothered by the ethics of it sets you apart enough to merit the spot. </p>
<p><< Student of Ethics</p>
<p>^^ That’s not very good logic at all.</p>
<p>thanks for your responses i just wanted to see how people would react to this thread in all honesty it is not true</p>
<p>Sure it is Bourne. I’m saying that the very fact that he’s bothered by the ethics of it already puts him, in terms of reflective thought and ethical consideration, above half the kids on this board. We need more people like that with excellent educations and in positions of authority, so he’s therefore the sort of person taht society, and U Mich, would want in U Mich.</p>
<p>I see. Pardon my French but…work your ass off next year to deserve it. But if you apply there and can’t sleep at night because of the connections, then I wouldn’t go there. I’m sure UMich is a great school, but no school is worth getting gray hair over.</p>
<p>However, they’re right. Just because your scores aren’t in the upper half doesn’t mean you don’t have other things to balance it out. </p>
<p>Lastly, are there any other schools you could go to without relying on connections? If it would let your conscience rest…I mean I’m sure there are people who would use whatever connections they could get, but this is something you need to ask yourself in the end. After all, you’ll be living with your decision so…yeah.</p>
<p>Right or wrong, people use their connections all the time in the real world.</p>
<p>Who cares how you get in. If you can do well once you get there nobody will know. Do your best in school to “earn” your way in and get better scholarships/grants/etc. but if you’ve got a sure in then take it.</p>
<p>i question myself for using connections because i really dont deserve them at all… and its a big stretch even to be considered legit.</p>
<p>but like my mom says, so many people out there have even larger connections that they dont shine away from using. she says use anything you have because otherwise you will not get ahead. and why stop yourself from being successful?</p>