<p>Tman - nothing is swinging it one way or another - you are in.</p>
<p>@nbph216 Your GPA is very low while your ACT is at the 75th percentile. It will be a low reach for you.</p>
<p>No matter how good your stats are, in the end only the adcoms have the final say.</p>
<p>[ *] College (LSA, engineering, etc.): kinesiology
[ *] SAT (one sitting): n/a
[ *] SAT IIs (if sent): n/a
[ *] ACT: 30 C (30 E, 34 M, 30 R, 30 S)
[ *] UM unweighted GPA: 4.0
[ *] Course load (# of AP/IB/H, special courses, etc.): 2/4/3 (spanish/calc ab, lit hl1/2/sehs/spanish, geometery/alg2/precalc) Taking Medical careers exploration 2nd semester senior year also.
[ *] Rank: we don’t rank, but if we did, I would be in the top 7%
[ *] Subjective (ECs, special circumstances, etc):
3 year captain of varsity track
1 year captain of varsity cross country
4 years of varsity track
3 years of varsity cross country
1 year of jv soccer
worked at Running Fit for one year and 7 months
volunteered at local physical therapy clinic during the summer (9 hours)
[ *] Essays: very good/great
[ *] Teacher Recs: excellent
[ *] Counselor Rec: great
[ *] Hook (legacy, recruited athlete, etc.): none(dad went to OSU lol)
[ *) Location/Person: 30 minutes away from AA
[ *] State or Country:Michigan
[ *] School Type:Public
[ *] Ethnicity:White
[ *] Gender: Male
[ *] major strength/weakness: strengthens: leadership positions in ECs, GPA and having a job for over a year and a half. weaknesses: I don’t have many volunteer hours or any associations with any school clubs.
[ *] Other Factors/questions: Is it worth it to retake the ACT? When I got my 30, I dropped the ball on the English and reading sections.</p>
<p>[ *] College (LSA, engineering, etc.): LSA
[ *] SAT (one sitting): CR 690 M 770 W 770 Composite 2230
[ *] SAT IIs (if sent): Chem 800 Physics 800 Bio 790 Math II 800 Chinese w Listening 800
[ *] ACT:Eng 32 Math 35 Reading 34 Science 34
[ *] UM unweighted GPA: 3.97
[ *] Course load (# of AP/IB/H, special courses, etc.): 2 APs 1 Honor in junior; 4 APs in senior year. Self-studied three more APs in junior
[ *] Rank: N/A but definitely top 1%
[ *] Other stats: 2014 AMC 12A 112.5, 2014 AIME II 8
[ *] Subjective (ECs, special circumstances, etc): moved to US two years ago
[ *] Essays: average
[ *] Teacher Recs: good
[ *] Counselor Rec: average
[ *] Hook (legacy, recruited athlete, etc.): I received a letter from a math professor inviting me to apply to the honors math program due to my AIME score
[ *) Location/Person: ?
[ *] State or Country: I currently reside in CA, where I have lived for two years; I am Chinese by citizenship
[ *] School Type: public high school
[ *] Ethnicity: Chinese
[ *] Gender: Male
[ *] major strength/weakness:
[ *] Other Factors/questions: Applying as international student.</p>
<p>@TheStigsBF An international student with ACT 34 and GPA 3.97 applying to UMich LSA would be a high match. Just make sure it is affordable to you.</p>
<p>College (LSA, engineering, etc.): COE
[ *] SAT: didn’t take
[ *] SAT IIs: Math (740), Biology (650)
[ *] ACT: - 34 (E,36) (M,34) (R,33) (S, 32)
[ *] UM unweighted GPA (on a 4.00 scale): 3.69
AP- JUNIOR: Biology: 4, US Gov: 3, US Hist: 2 SENIOR (ongoing): Chem, Phys, Calc BC, Comp Sci
[ *] Rank: School doesn’t rank
[ *] Subjective (ECs, special circumstances, etc): varsity swim, lots of clubs, did a lot of volunteer work overseas in impoverished areas
[ *] Essays: Mediocre
[ *] Teacher Recs: don’t know, not a great writer but he likes me
[ *] Counselor Rec: don’t know, good writer, not sure how she feels about me
[ *] Hook (legacy, recruited athlete, etc.): no
[ *) Location/Person: ??
[ *] State or Country: MI
[ *] School Type: Public
[ *] Ethnicity: Bengali
[ *] Gender: Male
[ *] major strength: ACT
Weaknesses: Maybe essays? Recs? GPA definitely
[ *] Other Factors/questions: Applying Early Action.</p>
<p>@cjayythomas
I’d say you’re a match. You’re in if your overall application is well put together.</p>
<p>@wayneandgarth</p>
<p>Thank you. I really appreciate hearing that, especially with the stress of so many applications. 
</p>
<p>@khxn40
You’re ACT score is good (above the 30 Composite average), but it doesn’t necessarily make up for your below average GPA (average is around 3.82). If you’re serious about getting in, leaving your essays as “mediocre” isn’t going to sit well with the admissions committee, and, quite frankly, you aren’t going to fare well. Unfortunately for you, more emphasis is put on GPA than ACT scores, though they do take other factors into account (Hence, holistic admissions). Does your high school transcript indicate an upward trend? Do you have any special circumstances? If you had a hard time adjusting to high school, but later made a comeback as you settled in, this can help you (provided you address these things appropriately in your application). Also, besides your involvement in swim, your ECs don’t look promising. Being involved in “lots of clubs” without genuine interest in them isn’t looked upon favorably by the admissions committee. And no, you can’t try to BS that in your essay; they can easily tell when an applicant has joined a bunch of clubs just because he/she thinks it looks good on paper. Being heavily involved in 2 or 3 clubs is much better than being lightly involved in 10 clubs. If you get involved in a lot of clubs, make sure they are all clubs you’re well involved in and truly have a passion for. Based on your stats, it appears as if it’s a reach for you, but hey, I may be wrong. You’ve got nothing to lose by applying.</p>
<p>@Fri612 My transcript does not show an upward trend. I was just wondering though, last year my friend got into COE with a 3.5. UW GPA and a 34, with not as many ECs. Could you explain that? (I hope I don’t sound rude, I’m genuinely curious.) Also, on my app I go further in depth with Model UN, Science Olympiad and Math Club. I just put “lots of clubs” on here because I was lazy. So, does that change anything? Thanks!</p>
<p>The gpa all depends on what school you went to, and how they grade there. It’s in comparison to your peers. A 3.5 at a hs might equal something else at another. It all depends where you go to, and what classes you take. </p>
<p>@khxn40
They may have overlooked your friend’s less-than-perfect GPA on account of his course rigor, upward grade trends, the reputation of his high school, or other factors. Say, for example, he was battling a persistent illness the spring of his sophomore year, wasn’t able to make it to school and, during that period, his grades suffered for it. If he properly explained the situation in his application, the admissions committee may have been more forgiving. Also, you talk about your friend taking part in less ECs than you as a disadvantage; this is not necessarily the case. Remember that when it comes to ECs, they favor quality over quantity every time. If your friend made an exceptional impact in what ECs he/she was involved in, that’s excellent! In fact, on occasion, a 3.0 GPA / 28 ACT student equivalent is admitted to Harvard because he/she has something the college really wants, whether it be a knack for some sport, musical instrument, etc. Otherwise, the applicant may have done something really amazing like cure cancer (lol), publish a book, or start up a profitable business; basically it’s something that makes them wonder, how did they do that? Your involvement in clubs like Science Olympiad, Math club, and the like are nice and all, but unless you held a respectable leadership position within them, it’s probably not going to help you that much. If you’re just a standard member, it’s not impressive. Anyone who has parents that can pay the club entry fees can do that. However, with that in mind, ECs aren’t everything. After all, the University of Michigan is an academic intuition, not an extracurricular playground. Unfortunately, there’s no formula to get into these colleges meaning that participating in X clubs, having an X GPA, and getting X on the ACT/SAT doesn’t guarantee you a spot. Keep in mind that the admissions process is really subjective. When they say they take a holistic approach to admissions, it means they make a decision based on their overall impression; it also means essays are extremely important! I saw that you predicted your essays were going to be mediocre. I can guarantee you right here and now that if you leave it at that, your chances of getting in are close to zero. One girl with a 4.0 GPA and 36 ACT didn’t think as much and felt that because she had done well so far and had stellar stats, it would be ok if she blew off her essays. Guess what, she was rejected by most of her colleges, even some safeties. It’s more of an extreme example, but if you’re having trouble writing a good essay you may want to read the book titled “On Writing the College Application Essay: The Key to Acceptance at the College of Your Choice” by former Ivy League admissions officer Harry Bauld (The revised 25th anniversary edition is preferable). See if your local library has it. If not, you can get it on amazon for just $10. The information that book has is invaluable. Personally, I think it should be required reading for all high school seniors. Oh, and since you said your grades don’t follow an upward trend, you’ll want to do extremely well this semester senior year (sorry, it’s not a blow off year). If you’re deferred, they’re going to want a copy of your first semester senior year grades when they come out. It’s important to realize that they essentially use your grades as a gauge to see whether or not you can handle the rigorous U of M academics. Don’t lose sight of your goals for the future and work hard.
I wish you the best of luck!</p>
<p>@Fri612 Your data is for all enrolled freshmen at Umich last year. For CoE, the admission average GPA is 3.9 and average ACT is 33 for 2014.
@khn40 Your GPA is indeed a bit low although your ACT is at the 75th percentile. UMich CoE would be a very high match for you from in state. the admission rate at CoE was 20% in 2014 and 30% in 2013. I am not sure which year your friend is admitted. Anyway, it is likely to be even more competitive for 2015.</p>
<p>@billcsho
Oops, sorry my bad on that.</p>
<p>Anyways, admissions anywhere are random to some degree. Ultimately, adcoms have the last say, and sometimes, the last laugh. </p>
<p>Please Chance Me</p>
<p>College (LSA, engineering, etc.): LSA
[ *] SAT: NA
[ *] SAT: NA
[ *] ACT: 32
[ *] UM unweighted GPA (on a 4.00 scale): 3.8
AP’s- (3) 4’s (1) 2
[ *] Rank: School doesn’t rank
[ *] Subjective (ECs, special circumstances, etc): Strong EC
[ *] Essays: Strong
[ *] Teacher Recs: Good-Excellent
[ *] Counselor Rec: Very good
[ *] Hook (legacy, recruited athlete, etc.): Dad is Alumni, Brother is Sophomore
[ *) Location/Person:
[ *] State or Country: MI
[ *] School Type: Public
[ *] Ethnicity: White
[ *] Gender: Male
[ *] major strength: Not Sure maybe legacy
Weaknesses: Maybe essays?
[ *] Other Factors/questions: Applying Early Action.</p>
<p>[ *] College (LSA, engineering, etc.): Ross
[ *] ACT: 31 Composite Score
[ *] UM unweighted GPA: 3.9 (94.01%)
[ *] Rank: 3/90
[ *] Other stats: taken only two APs : APUSH, AP Lang & Comp ( my school only offers three the other being AP Environmental Science. I opted not to take it because of my other course load)
[ *] Subjective (ECs, special circumstances, etc):</p>
<p>Extra Curricular Activities
Jv Basketball
Varsity Basketball
National Honor Society
Future Business Leaders of America
Student Government (11-12th Grade Treasurer)
Morgan Stanley Partnership
Ernst & Young Partenrship
NFTE Top 5 Business Plan (school within my school)
Peer Group Connection ( a senior to freshmen mentoring program)
Prom Committee
15-20 hr/ per week job since 9th grade </p>
<p>[ *] Essays: good in my opinion
[ *] Teacher Recs: good
[ *] Counselor Rec: good
[ *) Location/Person: New York City
[ *] State or Country: New York
[ *] School Type: Public
[ *] Ethnicity: African American
[ *] Gender: Male
[ *] major strength/weakness: very good leader </p>
<p>[ *] College (LSA, engineering, etc.): Ross
[ *] ACT: 31 Composite Score
[ *] UM unweighted GPA: 3.9 (94.01%)
[ *] Rank: 3/90
[ *] Other stats: taken only two APs : APUSH, AP Lang & Comp ( my school only offers three the other being AP Environmental Science. I opted not to take it because of my other course load)
[ *] Subjective (ECs, special circumstances, etc):</p>
<p>Extra Curricular Activities
Jv Basketball
Varsity Basketball
National Honor Society
Future Business Leaders of America
Student Government (11-12th Grade Treasurer)
Morgan Stanley Partnership
Ernst & Young Partenrship
NFTE Top 5 Business Plan (within my school)
Peer Group Connection ( a senior to freshmen mentoring program)
Prom Committee
15-20 hr/ per week job since 9th grade </p>
<p>[ *] Essays: good in my opinion
[ *] Teacher Recs: good
[ *] Counselor Rec: good
[ *) Location/Person: New York City
[ *] State or Country: New York
[ *] School Type: Public
[ *] Ethnicity: African American
[ *] Gender: Male
[ *] major strength/weakness: very good leader
What are my chances?</p>
<p>@senna4ever In state student with ACT 32 and GPA 3.8 applying to LSA should be a match.</p>
<p>@gberrios27 OOS student with ACT 31 amd GPA 3.9 applying to Ross pre-admission would be a reach. LSA would be a low reach too.</p>