I got waitlisted from the University of Michigan. What should I do now?

The University of Michigan maintains one of the largest and most unusual waitlists in American higher education. Michigan received more than 109,000 applications for the Class of 2029, an 11% increase from the previous year and a 37% increase over the past five years. The university admitted 17,915 students, an acceptance rate of 16.42%, and enrolled a first-year class of over 8,100. Michigan is one of the largest and most selective public universities in the country.

Michigan's waitlist pool is enormous in a way that distinguishes it from every other school in this series. Approximately 24,800 students were offered a waitlist spot for the Class of 2028, and roughly 18,800 accepted, a pool nearly two and a half times the size of the entering class. For the Class of 2029, 1,663 students were admitted from the waitlist, a 9% acceptance rate. For the Class of 2028, 973 were admitted from 18,793 confirmed, a 5.2% rate. The historical range is wide: 1,248 admitted for the Class of 2024 (12.7%, when yield dipped during the pandemic) to fewer than 80 for the Classes of 2025 and 2026 (roughly 0.5%). The nine-year average is approximately 481 students admitted per year with a 5% average acceptance rate. In absolute numbers, Michigan admits more students from the waitlist in most years than any school in the Ivy League, including Cornell. But the pool is so large that the percentage admitted remains low.

Accept your place on the waitlist through Enrollment Connect by April 15 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Log in to Enrollment Connect, select "Reply to Waitlist Offer" under the Action Items menu, and complete the form. If you do not confirm by this deadline, you will not be considered. The waitlist is unranked. Note that this April 15 deadline is earlier than the May 1 national deposit deadline.
Commit to another school before May 1. Michigan's waitlist decisions do not begin until at least mid-May and can continue well into the summer, potentially through June 30 or later. Do not leave yourself without a seat in a first-year class.

The most important distinction in Michigan's waitlist process is this: the admissions office explicitly states that it will not accept any additional documents from you unless specifically requested, as they will not impact your final decision. This means no letter of continued interest, no updated resume, no additional letters of recommendation, no portfolio supplements, and no emailed essays. Michigan is one of only a handful of schools in this series with a fully passive waitlist policy for applicants. Sending unrequested materials will not help and may signal that you did not read the instructions.

Despite this, you are not entirely without options. The single most impactful action available to you is a brief phone call from your guidance counselor to the admissions office confirming that Michigan is your top choice and that you will enroll if admitted. This is a verbal communication, not a document submission, and falls outside the scope of the prohibition on additional materials. Counselor advocacy calls are a recognized part of the admissions process, and a credible call from a counselor who can speak to your character and genuine fit for Michigan carries real weight.

If you have previously communicated with an admissions representative, you may also send a very brief email, no more than 150 to 200 words, expressing gratitude for continued consideration, reaffirming that Michigan is your first choice, and stating that you will attend if admitted. This is not a LOCI. It is a brief, professional note to someone with whom you already have a relationship. Keep it short, do not attach documents, and do not include accomplishment updates. If you have not previously communicated with an admissions officer, this step is optional and should be approached with caution.

There are a few additional details worth knowing. Michigan's waitlist is structured around its various undergraduate schools and colleges, including the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (the largest), the College of Engineering (one of the top engineering schools in the country), the Stephen M. Ross School of Business, and several other specialized schools and programs. Waitlist movement may be partly driven by enrollment needs within specific schools, and your candidacy is evaluated in the context of the school you applied to. On financial aid, Michigan meets the full demonstrated need of all in-state students, but aid packages for out-of-state students are more variable, and Michigan does not guarantee meeting 100% of demonstrated need for all out-of-state applicants. If admitted from the waitlist, your financial aid package will be based on your submitted FAFSA and CSS Profile. Make sure these are on file. Michigan also states that waitlist admits will not have the opportunity to defer their enrollment for personal or religious interests outside of college, meaning if admitted from the waitlist, you must enroll for the upcoming fall term.

Michigan's waitlist decisions typically begin in mid-May after the university assesses its yield following the May 1 deadline. Decisions can continue into June and potentially early July. If admitted from the waitlist, you may have only a few days to accept, so keep your contact information current and check your email and Enrollment Connect portal regularly throughout the summer.

To be direct about what not to do: do not send a letter of continued interest, do not send additional recommendation letters, do not send updated transcripts yourself, do not email the admissions office with accomplishment updates, and do not call the admissions office to check on your status. One counselor advocacy call and, if appropriate, one very brief email to a representative you have previously communicated with is the right amount of contact. Everything else risks working against you.