Answers to Your Top Questions about Transitioning to College and Michigan Ross
The transition to college from high school is certainly an exciting time.
You are preparing to embark on what will be one of the most transformational and rewarding times of your adult life. But, as with any transition, there are also lots of questions about your upcoming enrollment, and the decisions you should be making right now.
This spring, my team answered many of these transition-related questions during events for admitted students and through emails and phone calls we received from incoming students. Below are the most popular questions we heard. I hope the answers help smooth your transition to Michigan Ross and the University of Michigan.
How do I learn more about housing, student life, etc.?
The Student Life Division at U-M has a video series called Getting to Know Michigan. This series offers information on many different topics related to the student experience on campus. They include: student housing, financial aid, dining, health and wellness, disability inclusion and accessibility, Michigan Athletics (find out how to secure your student tickets), mental health tips, recreational sports, civic engagement, career resources, student organizations, classroom and academic success tips, diversity, equity, and inclusion, and more. If you are unable to attend the date and time of each virtual session, don’t worry, the webinar video will be posted approximately two weeks after the event date.
What should I expect at U-M’s Orientation?
The university’s student Orientation 2022 will be a hybrid experience with both virtual and in-person components. It is required for all new first-year and transfer students. In addition to learning about the many aspects of life at U-M and campus resources, you will learn specifically about the Michigan Ross BBA Program. Ross academic advisors will help you choose your first-year schedule and answer any questions you may have regarding the BBA curriculum, transfer credit, and academic resources specific to Ross.
Students need to complete the required online placement exams before participating in the virtual academic advising day. Be sure to check your university email for information on registering for orientation.
How do my AP/IB/Dual Enrollment credits transfer?
While Ross academic advisors will answer your questions on transfer credit and how it matches to the BBA program requirements during orientation, I want to share general online resources to help you gain an understanding of how credits transfer to U-M.
The university’s Office of Undergraduate Admissions will process your AP/IB/Dual Enrollment credit. They have a webpage that lists exactly how your AP/IB test score will transfer as credit to U-M. The scores must be received directly from the testing agency.
For Dual Enrollment credit (college courses you may have taken at another college or online), please use the Transfer Equivalency Search. Michigan Ross aligns with the College of Literature, Sciences, and the Arts transfer credit equivalencies. When using this search guide, you will see that some courses will transfer as the exact course at U-M, while some courses will transfer as departmental credit (denoted by an X after the course number). Note that we do not accept business course credit.
To get the most out of your orientation experience, come prepared to talk with your academic advisor about how different types of course credit can be used to fulfill the requirements of your Ross BBA degree.
What does a typical first-year course schedule look like?
In your first-year, you will enroll in two Michigan Ross courses. Introduction to Ross: Foundations in Learning Business will span both semesters, and Introduction to Business Communication will be taken during your winter term. The bulk of your first-year course load will be what we call LSA Distribution Requirements. The university has a strong emphasis on the liberal arts and most degree programs on campus have students focus on these LSA distribution courses before taking major courses in their sophomore year. The number of credits needed for Ross undergraduates is a little different from the LSA requirements, as BBA students will enroll in three of the four distribution areas to complete nine credits in the three areas they choose. For more information, go to this Michigan Ross Academics page, which is designed specifically to help our incoming class.
In addition to the resources suggested above, the Michigan Ross advising team has created a separate Ross School of Business: First Year Orientation Student Site on Canvas. Check it out, as there are modules for you to complete prior to your Orientation date.
We look forward to having you join the Ross advising team at an orientation session this summer!
