How to Get Into Michigan: What Actually Works

Acceptance Rate: 15.6%

The University of Michigan's acceptance rate for the Class of 2028 stands at approximately 15.6%, making it one of the most selective public universities in the United States. Out of 98,310 applications received, only 15,373 students earned admission offers. Getting into Michigan is intensely competitive, and even students with near-perfect grades and test scores face rejection. The acceptance rate has plummeted from 42% just fifteen years ago to its current historic low, reflecting the university's skyrocketing popularity and increasingly rigorous admissions standards. However, it's important to note that in-state applicants have a significant advantage, with an in-state acceptance rate around 39%, nearly twice the out-of-state rate of approximately 16%. If you're from Michigan, your chances improve substantially, but if you're applying from out of state, you should understand just how competitive this process truly is.

Average SAT: 1440

Average ACT: 33

The middle 50% of admitted SAT scores range from 1360 to 1530, placing successful applicants in the 97th percentile of all test takers nationally. The middle 50% ACT range falls between 31 and 34, with an average around 33. These score ranges demonstrate that Michigan's admitted students are among the highest-performing test takers in the country. Approximately 52% of admitted students submitted SAT scores, while only 18% submitted ACT scores, indicating that while Michigan is technically test-optional, most competitive applicants do submit standardized test scores. If your scores fall below the 25th percentile (1360 SAT or 31 ACT), you'll face an uphill battle unless other parts of your application are exceptionally compelling. Conversely, scoring at or above the 75th percentile (1530 SAT or 34 ACT) positions you much more competitively among your peers.

Average Unweighted GPA: 3.9

Approximately 39% of admitted students have a perfect 4.0 GPA, while roughly 54% have GPAs between 3.75 and 3.99. Only about 1% of enrolled students have a GPA below 3.74, making nearly straight A's the expectation rather than the exception. Michigan expects to see nearly perfect grades, particularly in rigorous coursework like AP, IB, and honors courses. The university understands that different high schools offer different course opportunities and will evaluate you within your specific context. What matters most is that you pursued the most challenging courses available to you and excelled in them consistently across all four years of high school. If your unweighted GPA sits below 3.75, you'll need to compensate with truly outstanding achievements in other areas of your application, including exceptional test scores, remarkable essays, and significant extracurricular accomplishments.

What truly separates admitted Michigan students goes far beyond stellar grades and test scores. The university seeks students who demonstrate genuine intellectual curiosity and depth of thinking about the world around them. Successful applicants show evidence that they engage with ideas critically, make meaningful connections across different subjects, and ask sophisticated questions. Rather than simply stating you're interested in a subject like environmental science, the most compelling applications show how you've independently pursued this passion; perhaps you've started a campus sustainability initiative, conducted your own environmental research project, or engaged in meaningful volunteer work that deepened your understanding. This intellectual depth must be authentic and specific to you, not a generic expression of wanting to help others or change the world.

Admitted students also demonstrate sustained leadership and meaningful impact in their extracurricular pursuits rather than participating passively in numerous clubs. Michigan's admissions officers prize depth over breadth, looking for students who have taken initiative to create something new, launch a program, or achieve distinction in a specialized area. Perhaps you founded a successful debate team, organized a major community service project that improved your neighborhood, launched an entrepreneurial venture, or achieved regional or national recognition in a particular skill. What matters is showing clear evidence that you didn't just participate in activities but actively led, shaped, and improved them. Leadership positions matter far less than demonstrating the actual impact you've had on your school or community. The admissions committee wants to understand how you'll contribute to Michigan's campus community and how you'll continue creating positive change during your time there.

Beyond academics and activities, successful Michigan applicants demonstrate thoughtful character and values alignment with the university's mission of developing leaders and citizens. The admissions office explicitly seeks students who will challenge the present and enrich the future through principled action and service. Many admitted students can articulate what civic engagement and contribution to society mean to them personally, and they demonstrate these values through their choices and actions. This includes showing resilience in the face of obstacles, genuine care for others, intellectual integrity, and openness to different perspectives. Your teacher recommendations and essays should reveal who you are as a person: what drives you, what challenges have shaped you, and how you engage thoughtfully with your community and the wider world.

Michigan designates essays as very important factors in the admissions process, placing them alongside GPA, rigor of coursework, extracurricular involvement, and letters of recommendation. Your essays are often what transform a strong application into a truly exceptional one, which is why many students with slightly lower test scores or GPAs outcompete applicants with more impressive numbers but weaker essays. Essays are your opportunity to let admissions officers hear your authentic voice and understand how you think, what you value, and what makes you unique. They're your chance to reveal dimensions of yourself that transcripts and test scores simply cannot convey, allowing you to show your personality, your passions, and your potential to contribute meaningfully to Michigan's community.

You should check out the how to write the Michigan supplemental essays article to see details on how to write the Michigan essays.

Begin your essays by being genuinely authentic and personal rather than trying to write what you think admissions officers want to hear. Choose topics and stories that only you can tell because they're rooted in your specific life experiences and perspective. When responding to Michigan's leadership prompt, don't simply list leadership positions you've held; instead, tell a specific story about a moment when you made a real difference or took initiative to improve something. Show the admissions committee how particular experiences or people shaped your values and your understanding of what it means to be a leader and citizen. Use concrete details and anecdotes rather than broad generalizations, and connect your past experiences directly to how you envision contributing to Michigan's campus community and beyond. The goal is to help them understand who you are at your core and why Michigan is the right place for you to grow and make an impact.

Focus intensely on Michigan-specific details in your supplemental essays rather than generic praise about the university's reputation and size. Research the specific college or school within Michigan to which you're applying, then identify particular programs, courses, professors, and research centers that genuinely excite you based on your academic and personal interests. Rather than saying "Michigan's engineering program is excellent," show that you've studied the curriculum and can discuss how specific courses like EECS 280 or particular professor research aligns with your interests in autonomous systems or robotics. Demonstrate that you've done your homework and that Michigan isn't just another prestigious school you're applying to, but a place where you can see yourself thriving because of its specific offerings and opportunities. Admissions officers want to admit students who will be engaged and will take full advantage of what Michigan has to offer, so show them through your essay that you understand this and are genuinely excited about your future there.

Throughout your application, maintain academic rigor by taking the most challenging courses available in your high school; aim to complete at least four years of core subjects (English, math, science, history, and foreign language), with as many AP, IB, or honors courses as possible. Secure strong letters of recommendation from teachers who know you well and can speak authentically to your academic abilities, intellectual curiosity, character, and potential. Choose teachers from rigorous courses who can provide specific examples of your engagement and growth rather than generic praise. Finally, treat your entire application as a cohesive narrative that reveals who you are as a person and shows Michigan admissions officers why you belong in their community and what unique contributions you'll make to their campus.