Nestled in the wonderful college town of Ann Arbor, the University of Michigan is an excellent school academically with a vibrant college culture. With an undergraduate population of approximately 30,000, Michigan is big! It’s a great option for students who are serious about academics, but want to experience being in a spirited, sports-centric atmosphere (and students who can handle…or at least tolerate the cold). Michigan boasts 415 All-Time Big 10 athletic championships and is home to almost 1,000 student athletes.

Michigan is also a competitive school. It has an 18% acceptance rate and is the #3-ranked public school in the nation for undergraduates. The average high school GPA of the 2023 entering class was 3.9-4.0, with a 31-34 average ACT and 1350-1530 average SAT range. The most popular majors are Computer and Informational Sciences, Business Administration, Economics, Behavioral Neuroscience, and Mechanical Engineering. The school prides itself in rich university traditions and an academic environment that breeds leaders who have a positive impact on society.

Alumni include Nobel laureates, activists, astronauts, leaders in business, legislators, governors and foreign dignitaries. And you could be one of them! Here is our advice on taking advantage of the summer to build an impressive resume for your Michigan application.

Interested in a personalized summer plan geared towards getting into your top-choice school? Call us. We’re experts at helping students match with their dream schools. 

Your Academic Area of Expertise

We work with our students on developing an academic area of expertise throughout high school. College admissions are historically competitive. While excellent grades and test scores are essential to being considered at top-tier institutions, in order to make it through the applicant pool, you’re going to need something in addition. (Assume that hundreds, if not thousands of those applying for the same spots have the same GPA and test scores as you do). So, your entire application really needs to be in tip-top-shape, from essays to letters of recommendation.

You should also position yourself as an expert in a particular niche field. For example, perhaps you love the American presidency and your classes, clubs and projects throughout school reflect that. Or maybe you’re really into chemistry. The more niche, the better. The point is to apply to Michigan as someone who’s not a generalist, but rather, who knows where they’re headed professionally and knows what program at Michigan will help them expand upon what they’ve already built throughout high school in that field. Your summer plans should just be a continuation of developing that niche.

Pick a summer activity that aligns with your area of interest. If you’re really into literature, partner with a middle school to teach a summer program for kids on English lit. Lead a summer book club. Intern at a local bookstore or do research with a professor at a neighbor university. Your goal should be to show the schools to which you are applying that you were thoughtful about your summer and you spent it really growing in a particular area.   

Expand Your Academic Horizons

Taking a college course is another great way to spend your summer. You should aim to take a summer class at a top-tier school. The class or classes you take should correlate to your academic niche. Take 1-2 classes that are interesting to you and that would, in theory, count towards your major. You should also use this time to chat with professors and get to a feel for what it’s like on a college campus. The point is to show the colleges to which you are applying that you worked (decently) hard this summer, applied yourself, and learned something. The class doesn’t have to be at Michigan, itself. If you’re really dying to get to Ann Arbor this summer, great. But what’s more important is that you take a class that’s rigorous and shows the colleges of your choice that you applied yourself this summer.  

Get a Job

We also want to note that many, many kids out there work in order to help support their families and themselves. Having a summer job (like working at a fast-food restaurant) is a perfectly respectable summer activity. If you can, try to get a summer job that is aligned (even somewhat) with your area of interest. If you’re looking to pursue Education in college, get a babysitting gig. If you’re interested in Business, work at a small, local business running the cash register. Either way, the admissions counselors reading your application work, too. They’ll respect your hustle and hard work.  

Be a Kid

We want to emphasize that enjoying yourself, relaxing, and being a kid this summer are of the utmost importance, too. So, while we want you to have a plan for the summer and focus your energy in a particular direction, we also want to be clear that it doesn’t need to be terribly hard. See your friends. Be outside. Enjoy yourself! Just don’t sit around and do nothing.

Applying to college can be really challenging. We like to make it more digestible for students by helping them devise a strategy early on in high school. Spending your summers with direction should be part of that strategy. Summer should have the right balance between having fun and shedding off the school year, while also keeping your tools sharp and using the time to forward your college application (and enrich yourself!) If you’re burnt out by June, you’re doing too much. If you’ve binge-watched a hundred hours of a show from the couch by then, you’re doing too little.

Need help coming up with an impressive summer plan? Call us. We’re experts at helping students stand out from the crowd.