What does it mean to be put on the waitlist?

Being waitlisted means that, after several thorough reviews of your application, we aren’t able to offer you a place in the incoming class. However, a space may become available after the May 1 enrollment deposit deadline. By placing your name on our extended waitlist by May 1, you may be offered admission when and if that happens.

Why was I placed on the waitlist?

Michigan is consistently ranked as one of the top universities in the world and, as such, admission is extremely competitive. In fact, this year we expect to receive over 45,000 applications for an enrolling freshman class of about 6,000 students. With a limited number of spaces in our freshman class, we are unable to admit all qualified students.

How do you decide which waitlist students you’ll admit?

Since we invited you to be on our waitlist, we strongly believe you have the capability to be successful in college and, if space were available, at Michigan. Once we get a clear picture of how many admitted students fail to meet the enrollment deposit deadline, we’ll know how many waitlist students to whom we’ll offer admission. From there, we give each application multiple comprehensive reviews, focusing on quality of the academic preparation in high school, grades, scores on the ACT with writing and/or SAT, personal characteristics and attributes, responses to the short answer and essay questions, and recommendations from high school counselors and teachers. For more information on how we review applications, please review our Evaluation Guidelines.

How many students are on the waitlist?

Each year that number varies, based on the number of applications we receive and the individual credentials each applicant brings to the table.

When will I know if I’ve been admitted?

If you accept our waitlist option by May 1, you’ll get an email by late June which will indicate whether space has become available in our incoming class. 

What should I do next?

We know this wasn’t the decision you were hoping for. And we truly appreciate your interest in Michigan. The first thing you’ll need to do is decide whether you wish to accept the waitlist option by May 1. Please respond online at Wolverine Access (New & Prospective Student Business, Application Status), where you’ll confirm your decision on two separate pages. Also, keep striving to do your best in school, and make sure to have other options figured out if you’re not ultimately admitted to Michigan.

And keep in mind that if you’re not admitted, you can always apply as a transfer student from another institution.

If I disagree with your decision, what can I do?

A wait list offer is not a final decision.  Once you have a final decision, you may request an appeal although they are rarely granted.  Appeals must have new and compelling information that was not included with your application, and an explanation of why this information was not included with your application. Appeals must be submitted in written form, will only be considered if they are from the applicant, and must be supported by appropriate documentation from outside sources. All documentation should be mailed with the letter of appeal to the address listed below. Any appeal not following these guidelines will not be considered.

You can expect to receive a response to the appeal within three to six weeks after the Office of Undergraduate Admissions receives the required information.The appeal and supporting documents should be sent to the following address or emailed to ecredentials@umich.edu with the subject “Appeal.”

University of Michigan
Admissions Review Committee
Office of Undergraduate Admissions
1220 Student Activities Building
515 East Jefferson Street
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1316

If you have any additional questions beyond the FAQs provided here, we invite you to visit our Ask Us! knowledgebase or call us at 734-764-7433, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.–8 p.m. through May 3, or 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. from May 4-Sept. 8.