The University of Michigan Ann Arbor, often just called UMich, is a big deal. Not only is it a top-ranked public research university, but it is also home to a staggering undergrads, making it one of the largest schools in the country. UMich is also home to the College of Engineering, which is one of the best engineering schools in the US. While they don’t publish a specific engineering school acceptance rate, the overall acceptance rate is about . This rate comes with a pretty big caveat. As a public school, a little over half of the undergraduate population is in-state students. While it is competitive for any applicant to get it, it is far harder for out-of-state applicants. If you are serious about getting into UMich Engineering (especially if you don’t live in the Wolverine State), you must be an elite candidate. You need to take a couple of steps to ensure your application is competitive.

Get the Grades

Good grades are a must to get into UMich. For the 2023-2024 cycle, the average GPA submitted by applicants was 3.9, and over 37% of enrolled students had a 4.0 unweighted GPA. The TL;DR is that you want to get as close to a 4.0 unweighted GPA as possible if you want to be a competitive candidate, especially if you are from out of state. However, having good grades is just the start. You also need to take challenging classes. Your transcript should be packed with Honors, IB, AP, Accelerated, and/or Dual Enrollment courses. For engineers, it is especially important to challenge yourself in your math and science courses. Take the hardest ones your school offers. 

While UMich is still test optional (at least through), having excellent test scores will also help you set yourself apart as a competitive applicant. In 2023, around 72% of applicants submitted scores. That is a pretty high number, so if you are coming from out of state, think of scores as kind of not optional. Recently, their 50th percentile was 1470 on the SAT or 33 on the ACT. You should push yourself to get above these scores.

Build a Niche

UMich offers . It should be clear from your application which one you are applying into. To do this, you need to establish an academic niche, aka a history of exploration and involvement in your academic field. Your application and resume should tell a story, and having a defined academic niche is a big part of that. Let’s talk about how to establish it. 

Courses and Reading

The first step you need to take to craft an academic niche is to explore your academic interests outside of school. Early in this process, we recommend reading books. Before you say anything, yes, there are many books on STEM fields. You want to grow your knowledge base, and reading books will help you better speak and write about your interests. Make yourself a reading list and start exploring fields you are interested in learning more about. Once you have read some books, you can supplement them with podcasts, scientific journals, etc., to help learn more about your intended field.

Another great resource is online classes. These are very accessible; many colleges offer pre-tapped and often free courses through platforms like Coursera. UMich is one of these universities that has a lot of You don’t need to take them specifically from UMich, but any class you take needs to connect to what you hope to major in.

School Extracurriculars

Great applicants are involved in their school communities. However, more than that, you need to get involved in strategic ways. Remember, your application needs to tell a story; your extracurriculars should support that story by connecting to your academic interests. Popular clubs for students interested in engineering include robotics teams, science Olympiads, mathletes, STEM tutoring clubs, solar car teams, computer science societies, etc, depending on your exact academic niche. If your school doesn’t offer STEM-based clubs, ask the administration about starting your own.

Signing up for the right clubs is just the first step. You also need to commit to your clubs. Spend time and effort on the activities that matter to you. Ideally, by junior year, you can also take on responsibilities and leadership roles in those clubs. However, even if you aren’t on the board, you need to be a valuable and committed member.

Out of School Extracurriculars

Just like your in-school activities, your out-of-school extracurriculars also should be connected to your academic niche. You can do out-of-school activities all year, but you want to specifically maximize the impact of your summers. A well-strategized summer can make all the difference. There are a lot of opportunities that can make great summer activities, but UMich-level applicants will likely have a mix of research, internships, and academic programs during their summers. We work with even freshmen to strategize impactful summers, and if you don't know where to start, we can help.

Build Something Cool

You can show off your engineering skills by building something you would be proud to tell UMich about. We have worked with students who have built drones, apps, solar panels, computers, robots, and much more. Building something impressive will show you have the type of real-world skills engineers need to master. Don’t be afraid to take on a project that forces you to learn some new skills. We love that kind of initiative.

Apply Early

UMich offers both Early Decision and Early Action. While they do not release an early acceptance rate, it is likely slightly higher than the overall acceptance rate. Even if it wasn’t, applying early is still a good idea. It shows UMich that you are serious about the school, and ED specifically will carry more weight. For qualified applicants, applying early is the best chance of admission. Every good college application strategy includes an ED/EA plan. So seniors, especially, get on it!

UMich is an excellent public option for students who thrive in big schools. If you are dreaming of Michigan, we can help. We work with students from rising freshmen to transfers on all things college.

Don’t wait! Contact us today!