The Office of Undergraduate Admissions utilizes a comprehensive, in-depth process to evaluate candidates for admission. We draw a number of thoroughly vetted people and resources and have built into the evaluation process an appropriate number of checks and balances that ensure each candidate receives a fair, holistic consideration.

How it Works

We review each application for admission three times:

• The First Review

An Application Reader performs the first review. The Application Reader is someone who works for the Office of Admissions part-time whose professional experience brings value and insight to the task of helping us make admissions decisions. Made up of former educators and admissions professionals, this is a talented and diverse group. This review is considered a blind read in that the Application Reader will not share his or her recommendation for admissions status with the next reviewer so that it will not influence their assessment of the students file.

• The Second Review

A Territory Counselor performs the second review. Each counselor is responsible for applications from a specific geographic region; this allows each counselor to develop a deeper knowledge of schools and school systems in his/her region. This staff member knows the applicant’s high school—in particular, the strength of the curriculum, how grades are earned and distributed, and what students can accomplish there. The counselor makes a recommendation for admissions status based in on this specialized level of knowledge.

• The Third Review

The application is then sent on to be validated by a third reviewer. This is someone who holds a position of leadership in the Office of Admissions, who will read the application package, review the recommendations by the reader and territory counselor, and who then validates the admissions decision, or, if necessary, refers the file to the admissions review committee for a final review.

No matter which review they cover, each application reader gives it a broad perspective drawn from his or her professional experience and knowledge of student applicants from across the country and around the world. Each also strives to look at the whole person.

Application Rating

The U-M application reviewers rate each applicant with respect to the following criteria:

• Secondary School Academic Performance
• Educational Environment
• Counselor and Teacher Recommendation

Reviewers will then balance the different ratings and decide which best fits the applicant’s achievements and potential. They then provide an overall rating for the application based on the following scale:

• Outstanding

All of the applicant’s materials exemplify superior and/or exceptional characteristics that contribute to the specific evaluation categories.

• Excellent

The applicant’s materials illustrate extremely strong, but not exceptional, characteristics. The reviewer may have a reservation, but there are enough redeeming features to compensate for, or outweigh, the reservation.

• Good

The applicant’s materials demonstrate competitive average characteristics in most of the criteria, but may be particularly strong in one or more areas. The reviewer may have reservations about the applicant’s academic competitiveness.

• Average/Fair   

While the applicant’s materials are competitive in each of the criteria, the reviewer has substantial concerns about the overall strength of the application and may have reservations about the applicant’s academic competitiveness.

• Below Average/Poor  

In the applicant’s materials, the reviewer detects serious deficiencies in most of the evaluation criteria in comparison to other applicants. In addition, several of the evaluation criteria may or may not be met or may not have been addressed in applicant’s materials.

The Decision

After conducting a comprehensive, holistic and individualized review of an application including academic preparation and extracurricular preparation, reviewers make an admissions decision recommendation based on the composite evaluation rating and comments. In the end, each final decision is influenced by a number of factors, each carefully weighed and considered to make the best possible decision for the applicant and the University of Michigan.