Tuesday, May 01, 2007

If you did not get into Ross as a Preferred Admit

If you did not get into Ross as a Preferred Admit, don’t fret and don’t frown. We admitted less than 10% of the applicants to the program. (I would have been a borderline case for admissions; I have great sympathy for those of you who did not get admitted.) We turned down lots of applicants who, based on what I read in their applications, would have a very good chance of succeeding at Ross. (Should we be bigger? Maybe; we have to compete for space and resources with other Ross programs. Can we get bigger right now? No; the construction process makes it quite cramped right now — though this will be better 18 months from now.) When these same applicants apply next year, they will have a much better chance of being accepted. The acceptance rate for the 3-year program is more in the range of 30-35%.

The question becomes what the student should do in order to improve his or her chances of getting in next year. We will look at highlights from your high school application to UM (not to Ross; we don’t care one way or another if you applied to Ross out of high school) so you won’t lose “credit” for your good deeds from high school. Though we will note your high school accomplishments, we will focus on what you have accomplished since you graduated from high school. The following are some productive steps that you can take in the following year:

  • This summer you should do something with your time that is productive in any way possible (paying job, volunteer, or whatever). When you do something, there’s a chance that you will have stories to tell later. And it is with these stories that you can convey a sense of who you are to other people.
  • You should be sure that you get good grades next year. A 3.6 GPA is about the average for students entering the business school. Certainly, some admitted students have lower grades than this (it is an average, after all) but all other things being equal, it’s better to have higher grades than lower grades.
  • Take Econ 101 and one math class (at least Math 115). If you perform well in analytic classes, it helps your chances of getting into Ross. If you take only analytic classes, that’s not so good. If you don’t take these two classes, then we won’t consider your transcript. Analytic skills are an important prerequisite to succeeding at Ross since so many of our classes build on this particular foundation.
  • Take LS&A classes that interest you. You might find a double-major or minor opportunity. Or you might change your major! You just never know. But you’ll certainly do better in a class that you want to take.
  • During school you should be involved in a couple of activities and/or projects that show that you can accomplish something

That’s about it. We’re looking for smart doers with different people mixing those two ingredients in different ratios. The clearer that you can make it that you fit this description, the better chance that you have of getting in.

Note the following: If you think that your grades don’t measure up but you have some other significant accomplishments that outweigh your grades, then please go ahead and apply to Ross if it’s what you have always wanted to do. Don’t let outsiders talk you out of it. Do all that you can do and let us make the admissions decision. Maybe you’ll get in and maybe you won’t — but at least you’ll know for sure.

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