Applying Early Action to the University of Michigan?

Pause before clicking SEND!

The early action deadline for the University of Michigan and some other top schools is Monday, Nov. 1. We know you are anxious to make the deadline, but please don’t click that send button  until you have carefully proofed your Common Application and supplemental materials, including your essays.

If you complete your application by Nov. 1, you are guaranteed a decision (admit, defer or deny) by Dec. 23. A small typo doesn’t mean you won’t be admitted, but why risk it?

Best advice: if you finish Sunday night, save it, then read it again in the morning one last time before you submit the application.

Here are some quick tips for proofing your essays:

  • Do not depend on spell check; just because a word is spelled correctly does not mean you chose the correct word.
  • Make sure you use the same verb tense throughout.
  • Get the name of the school right; don’t refer to Kalamazoo College in your U of M essay.
  • Ask someone else to read the essays with a fresh eye – your mom, your brother or a friend.
  • Contact us if you want a professional writer to give it one last read.

Good luck on your college application journey.

Picture of Kim Lifton

Kim Lifton

Kim Lifton is President of Wow Writing Workshop. Perceptive, resourceful and curious, Kim can get a story out of anyone. Kim is a former newspaper reporter and corporate communications manager. With Susan Knoppow, Wow’s CEO, Kim developed the Wow Method by combining her journalistic training with Susan’s organization and instructional design skills. She holds a BA in Journalism from Michigan State University. Kim’s articles on the college essay appear regularly in print and on the web, and her work has been featured in a variety of newspapers, magazines and online publications. Kim and Susan have co-authored three books – How to Write an Effective College Application Essay (The Inside Scoop for Parents, Students, Counselors). They are members/affiliates of the Michigan Association of College Admission Counseling (MACAC), the National Association of College Admission Counseling (NACAC), the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) and the Higher Education Consultants Association (HECA).

Learn More About College Entrance Essays

Expert says universities, high schools need to work togetherIt should have been a simple math question. But it stumped more than half of Michigan's fourth-graders last year. Many of them never catch on, even by high school. As a result, remedial education classes are flourishing at colleges and universities. Walk onto any of the state's 28 community colleges, and one of every five students is enrolled in a remedial education course. National data suggests that one in five students at four-year colleges seek remedial coursework, too.

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