Caroline Koppelman
Rejected Early Decision from Columbia 2023

Getting a rejection in the Early Decision round is definitely not easy. But the good news is, it’s really just the start, and that one rejection has no bearing on how you’re going to do with other, similarly competitive schools. The thing about Early Decision is it comes alone and it comes first. It’s sometimes easier to tolerate a rejection when it’s preceded by several acceptance letters. College admissions are extraordinarily competitive these days and the Ivies are just more competitive than any other time or place in history. That’s it. It doesn’t get harder. And Columbia in particular has just a 4% acceptance rate! So, if you’ve been rejected in the Early Decision round, don’t despair. We have some advice about how you might go forward. (And don’t worry, it’s really not that much more work!)

Caroline Koppelman
Deferred by Harvard — Now What? (2023-24)

If you’ve been deferred by Harvard, you are not alone. Harvard is notorious at this point for deferring an enormous percentage of early admission applicants. While most elite colleges with early admissions programs, like early decision and early action, only defer students they are seriously considering for the next freshman class, the statistics Harvard has released on early admission suggest that they take a very different approach.

Caroline Koppelman
Writing the “Why This College” Essay

Even though every college has slightly different supplementary application materials, you’ll likely run into a variation of one question more than any other: “Why do you want to attend this school in particular?” It’s every institution’s way of saying, Let’s cut to the chase. Why us?

Caroline Koppelman
How to Write an Amazing and Unique Common App ...

If you’re here, you’ve likely already taken a look at the Common App essay options, felt a little bit of existential doom, and fought the urge to take a long nap (and honestly? Relatable).

Caroline Koppelman
The Best Guide to College Application ...

No two college supplements are the same, but there is one question that shows up again and again. Why our school? If you are applying to multiple schools with supplements you will probably have to write multiple essays on this exact topic (no, you can’t just reuse the same one). While word counts and specifics can vary, these essays always follow a similar structure and goal. After reading this blog post you’ll be set to answer all of them.

michigan

Applying to the University of Michigan as an International Student

The University of Michigan is a major research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan that is regularly ranked in the top five public universities in the United States. The university is a powerhouse academically, athletically, and socially, and they offer more than 280 degree programs across 14 undergraduate colleges and schools. There are over 50,000 students overall, and about 33,000 undergraduates. Of that undergraduate community, about 9%, or nearly 2,900 students, are international. The international student community at the University of Michigan (or Mich, for short), represents more than 120 countries and brings a diversity of thoughts, cultures, perspectives, and traditions to campus.  

What to Do if You’ve Been Waitlisted by the University of Michigan 2024

UMich has long been a popular — and competitive — college because it has the best of both worlds. On the one hand, you’ve got tons of Wolverine school spirit, Division I teams to cheer on, and infamous tailgates. But it isn’t a party school; according to the QS World University Rankings, Michigan has been the #1 public university in the U.S. since 2019 and is #2 in leading research universities by volume.

Rejected from Michigan Early Decision 2023

Getting rejected from your dream school can be really tough. We want you to know that admissions are really competitive. In fact, the admissions rate for the University of Michigan is only 18%, and that includes in state. It’s a lot harder now than it was a generation ago.  Additionally, we have some thoughts on what you should do next and in the run-up to your next round of applications.

Transferring to The University of Michigan 2023

The University of Michigan is a top university in the United States and has a strong transfer program that attracts students from around the country. Unlike many other top schools, UMich has a robust transfer support ecosystem, including community college student support programs, that ensures that transfer students feel supported. The results are obvious, as over 89% of transfers graduate within 4 years.

Strategy for Regular Decision to Michigan

The University of Michigan is on a short list of extremely popular public universities. We love public universities but when students are looking at elite schools there are only a couple of names we hear over and over. UMich is high on that list. If you are from out of state and you are applying RD, you need a strategy when applying to UMich.

How to Write the University of Michigan Supplement 2022-2023

The University of Michigan located in Ann Arbor is a fantastic school for those who want a true balance between top-notch academics and social life. With a sports scene that’s hard to beat and a club or organization for just about anyone, U Michigan is a fun school offering a well-respected diploma. There are about 32,000 undergrads at the main, Ann Arbor campus and the acceptance rate last year was 20%. Here’s how we recommend tackling the supplements:

Michigan University Legacy Guide

We work with a wide range of legacy students every year and we always get questions from parents about how their children’s legacy status will affect the admissions process. Because of this, we decided to do a series on our blog breaking down legacy admissions at top schools across the US. We thought it was important to include the University of Michigan, not only because it’s a great school that our students love, but because it has one of the most confusing legacy policies out there. So we wanted to break down some of the ins and outs of legacy status at U Mich.