UMICH Hopeful

jxu613
Mon, 28 May 2007 01:24:42 +0000

There’s a fine line between course rigor and just plain poor decisions. Guess which side you on?

If I were an admissions counselor, I would see a student who took a bit too much than he or she could handle, not being too erudite with his or her course load, and not balancing it to well with the various extracurriculars at hand.

You’re extracurriculars are excellent, but your test scores are merely mediocre with your OOS status.

With that said, you’re a match for UMich, though on a lower end. Furthermore, if you do obtain admission to UMich, be ready to be go into there will no scholarships. Being only a slight match for Michigan, it’s even more dubious that you will receive scholarships. From that, financial aid isn’t as easy to pay off as some might imagine, especially if one happens upon a less than adequate job with paltry pay.

You’re a big reach for the rest of the schools, all of which expect students to be able to ace those courses, as well as score well on the APs.

I don’t mean to sound like the party ruiner, but UF (University of Florida?) might be your safe bet, especially with some scholarships that you are more likely to receive.

So what can you do to improve your chances at UMich, along with other schools?

In terms of UMich, aim for higher composite scores on both the SAT and ACT. Higher scores (2200+ on SAT, 33+ on ACT) will help offset your lacking GPA. Think about retaking the tests in June, or study over the summer (yes, the summer), and take the tests in the fall.

Furthermore, continue to brainstorm ideas to differentiate yourself from regular applicants. Don’t settle for the formulaic essays; show these schools that you have something novel to offer, and that you’re will contribute to the aesthetic of their institutions.

Good luck.