The University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

“I had a great SAT score but mediocre GPAMay 16 2005Business - Management and Administration
I had a great SAT score but mediocre GPA. It was my essay that got me in, no doubt. It treaded the boundary between emotion and cliche, but I think it turned out well.
SAT: 1460 Male

“I worked very very hard in high school, andApr 14 2005Biology
I worked very very hard in high school, and was accepted after being wait-listed with a 3.7 GPA, a 31 ACT, a great essay, and a fair amount of EC activities. It is very hard to get in, I had friends with 4.0's that were team captains that didn't get in. Work hard in high school and study hard for your ACT/SAT's, take them many times.
ACT: 31 Female

“I needed to write manyFeb 15 2005Chemical Engineering
I needed to write many essays, have a teacher and couselor paper.
ACT: 35 Male

“The three most important factors are obviously grades, testDec 14 2004PreMed and Medical
The three most important factors are obviously grades, test scores, and the written application (more specifically, the essays). If you're in the top 10-20% of your class, have taken a reasonable number of the AP/Honors classes offered at your school, and do pretty well on the ACT or SAT (28+ or 1300+), then you're golden in terms of getting in. The essays and letters of recommendation are crucial for merit scholarships, so take your time, have some teachers critique them, and then start applying for the awards that you're not automatically considered for. For many of the more competitive and substantial awards, you should be near or at the top of your class, have an ACT of ~32/33+ or an SAT of ~1450+, and put even more care into the essays.
ACT: 34 Female

“My GPA wasn't that great but I had prettyNov 21 2004Pharmacy
My GPA wasn't that great but I had pretty good SATs. The essays aren't worth anything at this university. Get decent grades and a decent SAT score and you should get in here no problem.
SAT: 1510 Male