What separated Michigan accepted vs. rejected applicants this cycle? In our data, almost nothing you can see on paper. The University of Michigan admits about 16% of applicants by its official rate, and the admitted and non-admitted applicants in our sample had the same grades and scores.
We compared 129 Michigan applicants from self-reported 2026 r/collegeresults posts: 46 admitted, 41 rejected and 42 waitlisted. (Two admits came off the waitlist.) This is part of a larger comparison of accepted vs. rejected applicants at top colleges, which explains how the data was collected. (Michigan's official rate sits just above the 15% cutoff used for that article's pooled numbers, so its decisions aren't in the pooled figures there.)
Any single difference here could be noise. But the overall picture, two groups that look alike, has held through every update as the sample more than doubled.
Michigan admitted student GPA and SAT
| Admitted | Rejected or waitlisted | |
|---|---|---|
| Median unweighted GPA | 3.95 (35 stated) | 3.96 (58 stated) |
| Median weighted GPA | 4.50 (26 stated) | 4.50 (45 stated) |
| Median SAT (scores sent) | 1530 (35 people) | 1540 (65 people) |
| Median ACT (scores sent) | 35 (12 people) | 35 (22 people) |
| Median AP/IB courses | 9.5 | 11 |
| National-level award | 65% | 73% |
The same weighted GPA and ACT, and an unweighted GPA, SAT and course count that ran slightly higher for the applicants who didn't get in. 122 of the 129 sent test scores. Whatever Michigan was looking for in this group, it wasn't visible in these numbers.
Activities: no consistent advantage
Admitted applicants listed a couple of things more often:
- Tutoring or teaching: 65% of admits versus 46%.
- A varsity sport (not recruited): 50% versus 41%.
But several activities showed up more among applicants who weren't admitted:
- Internships: 28% of admits versus 49% of everyone else.
- A paid job: 30% versus 43%.
- Coding or tech projects: 11% versus 22%.
- National Merit: 24% versus 34%.
- Research: 48% versus 54%, the reverse of Georgia Tech and UIUC, where research lined up with admission.
The internship gap has held through every update, but that doesn't mean internships hurt. A fair reading: in this strong pool, no single activity type helped at Michigan, and the things that looked impressive elsewhere didn't stand out here. That's a reminder that essays, recommendations, intended major and what a school needs that year all play a part this data can't measure. We cover how activities fit alongside grades in can strong extracurriculars make up for a low GPA or SAT.
Deferrals and the waitlist did most of the sorting
What stood out at Michigan was the process, not the profiles:
- 42 of the 129 applicants were waitlisted (33%), one of the highest waitlist shares in our tally among schools with 30 or more decisions, alongside Carnegie Mellon, Vanderbilt, Cornell and NYU.
- 38 applicants said they were deferred, and only 6 were admitted in the spring. The other 32 were waitlisted or rejected.
- Most admits who stated a round got in early action (27 of the 35).
So if you apply early to Michigan and get deferred, this sample suggests your odds dropped a lot. And with a third of applicants ending on the waitlist, it's worth having a backup plan rather than counting on it. We compare early action and early decision in early decision vs. early action, and cover what helps after a deferral in deferred from a college? here's what actually helps.
What Michigan applicants can take from this
- Strong stats aren't enough to stand out here. Admits and non-admits looked the same on grades and scores.
- Applying early action helped most admits, but a deferral was a bad sign in this sample.
- Compare with Purdue, Wisconsin and Maryland, where, unlike at Michigan, GPA clearly separated admits from everyone else.
- Expect the waitlist to be a real outcome. Plan for it; our waitlist strategy guide covers the steps that matter.
- Michigan resident? See U-M's official admit rates, deadlines and the Go Blue Guarantee.
Michigan's College Intel page carries the same applicant-profile comparison, updated as new posts are logged.
Sources
- College Intel's tally of self-reported r/collegeresults posts, 2026 admissions cycle (404 posts logged as of Oct 9, 2026; 129 with a Michigan decision). Recruited athletes and transfer applicants excluded. Aggregates only; no individual post is reproduced, and no figure rests on fewer than 3 people.
- College Scorecard -- U.S. Department of Education (Michigan's official admission rate)