Postponement: What is it?
Today, the University of Michigan released early action decisions, most of which will be a postponement to the regular decision pool.
According to their FAQs, a postponement occurs when the admissions office needs additional time to review a student’s credentials and determine how their strengths and academic achievements fit with the composition of the applicant pool. After reviewing the regular decision applications, a final decision will be made.
The Numbers At a Glance
Like many colleges, the University of Michigan has seen an increase in applications in recent years. Last year, they received 98,310 applications and admitted 15,373 students to a freshman class of 7,278 (15.6% admit rate).
Unlike other universities, including the University of North Carolina and the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Michigan does not have a state mandate for how many in-state students they must enroll. Nevertheless, they try to keep their in-state freshman enrollment above 50%. Last year, in-state enrollment was 52.8%, and out-of-state enrollment was 47.1%. The university does not publicize its admit rate by residency; however, because most applicants to U-M are from outside Michigan, the admit rate for nonresidents is lower than 15.6%, while the admit rate for residents is higher.
While competition is high, Michigan does admit a fair number of students from its postponed pool, so you’ll want to follow their instructions to be considered as they continue to evaluate applications.
Steps You Should Take
Submit your Expression of Continued Interest (ECI). Your U-M admissions portal has a place for you to type an expression of continued interest. While they state it isn’t mandatory, I highly recommend you take this step. Here are a few things you may want to include:
New or compelling experiences or accomplishments that have occurred since you first applied
Restate your reasons for wanting to attend U-M
If Michigan is your first choice, share that you plan to attend if accepted.
Submit your Fall Grades. Contact your school counselor and ask them to submit your mid-year report once it becomes available. And if you’ve taken a new SAT or ACT exam since applying, you can also have those submitted.
Nothing. That’s it! U-M specifically states, “Our preference is to receive only the ECI form, grade updates, or any specifically requested information. Anything outside of this will not impact your final decisions.” So, do as they ask and show you can follow directions!
Remember, You’re Awesome!
It’s okay to feel disappointed that your application was postponed but don’t let this define your self-worth. You’ve worked too hard the last four years to allow this moment to impact your value and contributions.
If you’ve been thoughtful about your college list, you should have a balanced set of colleges and other acceptances, so get excited about those! While waiting for a final decision from U-M in April, turn your attention to the colleges where you have been admitted. Go to an admitted campus visit or an admitted student reception in your area. There was a reason you applied to those other colleges initially, so get reacquainted. You might just surprise yourself!
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