The University of Michigan is changing its first-year application process, with prospective undergraduate students now able to apply directly to two more U-M schools and colleges, bringing to 10 the number of first-year admitting schools and colleges.
Beginning with the fall 2025 application period, prospective first-year students will be able to apply directly to the College of Pharmacy and the Stephen M. Ross School of Business and also will have the option to select an additional program from the A. Alfred Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning.
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The changes come amid record interest in U-M from prospective first-year undergraduate students, with more than 98,400 applying for the 2024 fall term.
“We are thrilled to introduce these new options for prospective first-year students as they apply this fall,” said Adele C. Brumfield, vice provost for enrollment management. “The university offers many excellent academic programs for first-year students, and these updates allow us to streamline the application process, further prioritizing student success.”
The university is providing more academic offerings for incoming first-year undergraduate students, with the Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences added as an admitting program. The program, rooted in the basic and pharmaceutical sciences and research, prepares students for success in professional health programs, graduate studies and the industry.
“We are excited to welcome first-year students to our college and provide them with a multidisciplinary education rooted in pharmacy to prepare them for a career in health care,” said Vicki Ellingrod, dean of the College of Pharmacy. “The curriculum affords our bachelor graduates limitless choices. They can choose to pursue a professional or graduate degree or enter the workforce.”
In a move to simplify the admissions process, prospective students will be able to apply directly to Ross to pursue a business degree. The Ross Bachelor of Business Administration curriculum builds upon a liberal arts foundation and allows the flexibility to pursue personal passions through global study, student clubs and electives.
Traditionally, first-year applicants have had to apply to another first-year admitting school or college and apply separately for preferred admission to Ross.
Starting with the application period for fall 2025, U-M’s Common Application will include the Ross School as a first-year admitting unit, while continuing to allow preferred admissions through select schools and colleges as a way for applicants to indicate an interest in later transferring to the program.
“The Ross BBA program has seen tremendous application growth over the past several years, almost doubling our application volume since 2017. We are pleased to simplify our application process for prospective students and be able to provide applicants with their admission decisions earlier so they can better prepare for their college journey,” said Cathy Shakespeare, Thomas C. Jones Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education and professor of accounting at Ross.
Meanwhile, the Bachelor of Science in Urban Technology program at the Taubman College will move from a winter start to a fall start with the fall 2025 application. This will allow students to begin at the typical start of the fall academic year with the majority of the incoming class. The program focuses on the intersection of urbanism and technology and the digital systems of tomorrow.
“Since we launched the first-of-its-kind Bachelor of Science in Urban Technology three years ago, the degree has brought a vibrant group of talented, ambitious students into this growing field,” Taubman dean Jonathan Massey said. “The shift from winter to fall start will simplify the admissions process and allow future Urban Tech students to start in sync with their peers in our undergraduate architecture degree.”
Eight other U-M schools and colleges accept first-year applications: LSA, Taubman, the College of Engineering, Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design, Marsal Family School of Education, School of Kinesiology, School of Music, Theatre & Dance, and School of Nursing.
The application deadlines and admissions decisions will follow the university’s typical timeline, with the fall 2025 Common Application opening Aug. 1. Students can apply by the Early Action application deadline of Nov. 1, with decisions released by the end of January 2025, or the Regular Decision application deadline of Feb. 1, 2025, with decisions released by early April.
Admissions decisions for the Bachelor of Business Administration will follow both timelines, with the Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences and the Bachelor of Science in Urban Technology programs following the Regular Decision timeline.
“We recognize that many prospective students spend a portion of their summer finalizing their college search and application plans, so we are happy to be able to share these important changes at this time in advance of the application opening in August,” said Erica L. Sanders, assistant vice provost and executive director of undergraduate admissions.
Earlier this year, the university announced that it had formally implemented a test-optional policy for undergraduate admissions for the 2025 application cycle, meaning students applying for admission for the winter 2025 academic term and beyond continue to have the choice of whether to submit standardized test scores as part of their application.
