if you have been with me on this whole blogging journey since day one, you will know that i was deferred, then waitlisted, from university of michigan. with admissions released yesterday (& what feels like all of my wicked smart friends getting deferred) i feel like i can maybe share some insight. note: like always, take this for what it is – a girl who sharing her story of what she did to get accepted. i do NOT work for umich admissions, nor do i have any special insight into what they are thinking.
so let’s begin by saying: hey! congrats! you weren’t denied!! (this is my attempt of looking at the bright side, but trust me, i know how much it sucks).
i know this may not be the outcome you predicted, but don’t get discouraged. as time goes by you will realize that a frick ton of people get deferred. the second round of admissions is huge, so odds are you’ll get in then. for now, a safe bet is to come up with a backup plan – just in case. still have faith, but it will probably give you some peace of mind.
here’s where i feel especially helpful. for the few unfortunate ones (i was in this group), you may end up waitlisted. everywhere you read it will sound like you have a one in a million shot of getting in at this point, but take my word for it, if i can get in, so can you.
after getting put on the waitlist, i realized that i needed to do something big. something that would make me stand out (besides the given letter of continued interest). everyone at umich has outstanding grades and test scores, so why would they want me?? to answer my own question, i made this blog.
in one week it had over 1000 followers (to my surprise, too), and i sent an email to admissions containing a post i wrote about how badly i wanted to attend their university. two days later, i was accepted.
my general advice would be this: do something that makes you stand out. make it something your passionate about (maybe even make it relevant to your intended major). but overall, take the rejection/acceptance and know that whatever happens, it will work out in the long run. good luck!!
