Three Facts You May Not Know About Michigan Ross, and Thoughts on Applying this Year
We just admitted an incredible group of Round 1 candidates! Every year, I get in on the fun of calling admits, and it was wonderful to deliver great news to close out 2020.
This past Saturday, we brought admits together virtually for our Round 1 Welcome event, which kicked off a series of events admits can participate in throughout the next few months. Though we always prefer to hold admit events in-person, I was thrilled we could still show prospective students what we mean when we talk about the "Ross Difference.”
One thing we’ve noticed in talking with admits and other candidates throughout the fall is that there are misconceptions about Michigan Ross — some of which you may share. So, in the spirit of mythbusting, here are three facts about Ross that address these common misconceptions.
FACT #1: ROSS GRADS LAND JOBS ACROSS THE GLOBE.
“Go Blue, Go Anywhere” isn’t just something we say. It’s real. Last year, about half of our grads went to one of the coasts: nearly 30% to the West Coast (Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles), about 20% to the East Coast (New York City, Boston, Washington, D.C.). An additional 17% landed in Chicago, and 9% took international opportunities. The remaining 20-ish percent went to the South/Southwest and Midwest.
Ann Arbor is also located within a 30 minute drive of a major international airport (Detroit Metro Airport) , and it is a Delta hub. So whether Ross students are traveling to Los Angeles, New York, or Shanghai for recruiting or networking events, they rarely have to deal with a layover.
FACT #2: ROSS IS STRONG ACROSS MANY BUSINESS DISCIPLINES.
In fact, Michigan Ross is second only to Stanford in terms of the number of academic specialties ranked in the top 10. Of the business specialities ranked by U.S. News, Ross placed in the top 10 in ten of them. No matter what you’re interested in pursuing, you will be well-equipped in your future career!
In addition, the University of Michigan is home to 97 graduate programs that are ranked in the top 10 by U.S. News & World Report.
FACT #3: ANN ARBOR HAS THE AMENITIES OF BIG CITY LIFE IN A QUINTESSENTIAL COLLEGE TOWN.
More than 90% of our students come from big cities around the world -- just like you. When they visited Ann Arbor for the first time, many say they are surprised by what Ann Arbor and Michigan have to offer. In fact, some said Ross rose to the top of their list after their visit. Why?
Ann Arbor is a vibrant college town with many of the trappings of a big city, without the big city hassles like traffic and parking. People are friendly. It’s highly walkable. It has lots of parks and outdoor activities (biking, hiking, kayaking, tubing or golf anyone?) It’s consistently ranked as one of the best cities to live in the U.S. by several publications because of its diverse and highly educated population, eclectic restaurant scene, and downtown scene. Recent accolades include:
- #1 Best College Town for 2021 (WalletHub 2020)
- #1 Most Educated City in America (WalletHub 2020)
- #2 Top 100 Places to Live (Livability 2020)
- #1 Best College Sports City (CBS 2019)
- #1 City for Female Founders Raising their First Round (Center for American Entrepreneurship 2019)
- #3 Top Tech Hubs in America (Bloomberg 2019)
But don’t take my word for it about what a great place Ann Arbor is to go to business school, ask any one of our 200+ student ambassadors from around the world what they think of Ann Arbor, and why they chose Ross.
Facts about applying this year
In addition to addressing those misconceptions, I also wanted to share two other “bonus” facts to keep in mind about the application cycle this year.
BONUS FACT #1: IT’S A GREAT YEAR TO APPLY TO BUSINESS SCHOOL.
The media and admissions consultants alike are predicting that this will be a super competitive year. I say -- it’s too early to tell! Don’t lean out.
Most schools have only completed their first round of admissions. There are more rounds to come, and no telling how many apps will actually be submitted in subsequent rounds. If everyone takes the “lean out” mindset, then this could end up being the best year to apply. There’s no sense in game theorizing your way out of applying. “You can’t win the lottery if you don’t buy a lottery ticket,” as the saying goes. You have little to lose by applying this year if you aspire to go to business school. The best that can happen is that you could get admitted! The worst that could happen is that you will have invested time in preparing an application. But it won’t be counted against you in the next year, and you will have content to use as a starting point for the next year; you won’t be starting from scratch.
Stay tuned for more tips that can make you stand out when applying this year.
BONUS FACT #2: 2020 WAS ROUGH. I’M HOPEFUL FOR A BETTER 2021
At the time that I’m writing this blog, U-M has begun receiving the COVID-19 vaccine and will start vaccinating its health care workers as the first step in a program to eventually distribute the vaccine to all members of the campus community who want it. I’m hopeful that the world will be safer in 2021 and that we will be able to resume many of our “normal” activities, including engaging more with candidates and students in-person.
In the meantime, my wish for all of you is that your holidays will be safe, that you’ll be able to connect with loved ones, and that you’ll be able to enjoy some version of your favorite holiday traditions. Happy Holidays everyone! We look forward to “seeing” you next year.