International Students
Application Review
University of Michigan Office of Undergraduate Admissions Mission Statement
The University of Michigan seeks to enroll and graduate applicants who will develop and grow educationally and personally and will contribute to the University community, the State of Michigan, and the broader society. To that end, the role of the Undergraduate Admissions Office is to recruit, admit, and encourage enrollment of applicants who are academically excellent, accomplished in extracurricular endeavors, and broadly diverse. It is the University’s experience and judgment that this mix of students will foster the vibrant educational atmosphere that provides the best educational experience for all students.
Overview
The University and the Office of Undergraduate Admissions have been very successful in achieving this mission through the holistic, individualized review of the many facets of every application received. We have admitted and graduated excellent applicants who have an outstanding array of academic and extracurricular credentials; very diverse socioeconomic, geographic, athletic, religious, cultural, racial, ethnic, and international backgrounds; and wide-ranging interests, achievements, experiences, talents, and beliefs.
Admissions is more art than science: the admissions process is designed to consider all aspects of an applicant’s record and experience and is not intended to admit applicants solely on the basis of grade point averages, test scores, or any other single criterion. The University recognizes that there is great variation among its applicants’ personal circumstances, home communities, and high schools, including those schools’ course offerings and grading practices. Therefore, reviewers have the opportunity and responsibility to consider a comprehensive range of factors in evaluating applications and to admit applicants who both are academically qualified and have demonstrated their potential to contribute to, and be successful students at, the University of Michigan.
Our admissions process is dynamic. We continually review and update it to reflect lessons learned, changes in the applicant pool from year to year, newly available technology, evolution of the University’s educational objectives, and applicable State and Federal laws and policies. Our process, first implemented in August 2003 and updated regularly thereafter, provides an effective means to ensure a comprehensive, holistic, and individualized review of every application.
Our admissions program fosters an individually tailored review and decisionmaking process for each application by expanding flexibility and use of professional judgment, while at the same time maintaining consistency in the way all applications are evaluated. All applications are reviewed at least twice, and many applications will go through three or more reviews if needed to ensure consistency in the review process. The current review process, like past admissions guidelines, focuses on academic achievement and the intellectual potential of the applicant as the most significant factors in evaluating an admissions file.
The application form is designed to facilitate individualized, holistic consideration, with special attention to providing opportunities for all applicants to demonstrate the ways in which they would contribute intellectually and socially to the life and diversity of the University. The application provides opportunities for the applicants to describe unique characteristics and circumstances regarding their academic background and their community and family experiences (including with respect to their family’s socioeconomic status and education levels), as presented in teacher and counselor recommendations, written responses, and extracurricular and work activities. Throughout the process, admissions staff has the ability to consider all factors that could contribute to an applicant’s success at the University of Michigan and their ability to add to our dynamic and vibrant educational community. On the attached Appendix A is a non-comprehensive list of considerations that may be used to guide the review of an applicant’s file.
Effective December 29, 2006
