The Ross Admissions Portfolio is a personal, open-ended way to share more about who you are and why you’re interested in a business education at Ross. Our admissions team uses this portfolio as a complement to your Common Application to get a well-rounded understanding of who you are (think: the you beyond the numbers!). This is your opportunity to display your understanding of business and showcase how you’ve put your learning into action.
The Admissions Portfolio requires two parts:
1. Business Case Discussion
Choose a current event or issue in your community and discuss the business implications. Propose a solution that incorporates business principles or practices. The review panel will look for creativity, drawing connections, and originality. Your response should be limited to approximately 500 words.
This case discussion helps us learn more about your understanding of business. The topic should be unique to your interests, experiences, and knowledge. There is no “right” or “wrong” business situation to choose — it’s truly up to you. We encourage you to select a topic that you are passionate about, and not a global topic that you are disconnected from.
2. Artifact & Description
Upload an artifact that represents something significant about your life and shows how you’ve put learning into action. This could be related to something inside or outside of the classroom (like an extracurricular accomplishment you’re particularly proud of). The goal is to give you the chance to showcase a unique aspect of yourself.
Artifact examples can include a:
- An academic project
- A community project
- Community newspaper article highlighting an important achievement
- Personal website
- Piece on a school, extracurricular, or community program/event that you were instrumental in creating or implementing
- High school or community award that was meaningful or prestigious
- Local, state, or national competition related to a club or school activity
- Picture of something of value to you
- A culminating event for an ongoing activity from high school
The options for artifacts are endless — there is no need to feel limited by this list. Note that your artifact does not need to be business related. Ask yourself: “What are you most proud of from your four years in high school?”
We also ask that you submit a short description that explains how your artifact demonstrates your learning in action. Essentially, what did you learn from this experience? Please limit this response to approximately 250 words.
The Admissions Portfolio is hosted through SlideRoom and can be submitted with your Common Application.
The link is MichiganRossUndergrad.slideroom.com.
There is a $5 transaction fee to submit your portfolio. Students receiving a fee waiver through your Common Application will also receive a fee waiver for SlideRoom. The fee waiver request must be sent to [email protected].
For technical assistance with SlideRoom, please visit support.slideroom.com.
The portfolio will be available on August 1st.
Your Ross Admissions Portfolio is submitted along with your Common Application. Preference is given to applications completed by the Nov. 1st Early Action Deadline, which is the Ross Priority Deadline. The Regular Decision Deadline is Feb. 1.
Early Action Deadline: November 1
Regular Decision Deadline: February 1
For questions, please contact [email protected] or 734-763-5796.
1. In the Questions tab, scroll down to select the “Academics” drop-down. The first question will ask “U-M College of School to which you are applying”
a. The video shows the student selecting “College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA)
b. Students are able to select any one of the following programs:
i. College of Literature, Science, and the Arts
ii. College of Engineering
iii. School of Kinesiology (Sport Management only)
iv. The School of Music, Theatre, and Dance
v. The School of Art & Design
2. You will be required to answer a question regarding “Preferred Admission”
This is where students interested in applying to the Ross School of Business will select Stephen M. Ross School of Business as their choice for Preferred Admission
3. Once you have selected the Stephen M. Ross School of Business as your choice for preferred admission, select the blank drop-down menu pertaining to the above bolded statement
a. Selecting “Yes, I understand and acknowledge the Stephen M. Ross School of Business will be my first preferred enrollment unit if offered admission” will allow students to continue their application for Preferred Admission to the Stephen M. Ross School of Business
b. Selecting “No, please remove my request for consideration to the Stephen M. Ross School of Business Preferred admissions program. I may consider options, including the Stephen M. Ross School of Business if I choose to enroll at the University of Michigan” will remove a student from Preferred Admission consideration for the Stephen M. Ross School of Business, and the student will only be considered for their initial choice of U-M College or School.
4. For the Portfolio, students intending to move forward with the Preferred Admission application process must select Yes for the question “Are you applying to one of the programs listed above and do you understand you must submit a portfolio by the application deadline so that your creative work or skills will be considered as part of the admission process to University of Michigan”
a. Students who select No for this question will not be given the link to complete their Preferred Admissions Portfolio
5. The “Area(s) of Interest” section of the application is purely to gauge what areas students have an interest in within the initial college they are applying to and is not a formal commitment. Since business is not an option on this list, we typically encourage students to select areas that are most closely associated with their interests (Economics, Mathematics of Finance and Risk Management, etc.)
a. The video shows the student selecting “Actuarial Mathematics,” however, students are encouraged to select whichever academic topic is of interest to them
6. Once the system has processed your choices for the “Academics” section, a section titled Portfolio with a subsection of Instructions will appear in the grey box on the left-hand side of the application.
7. To access the BBA Admissions Portfolio, click Instructions. The next page will display a hyperlink to take you to the University of Michigan Portfolio Site. Click this link.
8. Once on the homepage for SlideRoom (the system through which you will submit your portfolio), select the University of Michigan Ross School of Business Undergraduate Program as the school to receive your SlideRoom application
9. You will then be prompted to sign up for a SlideRoom account in order to complete your BBA Admissions Portfolio
10. Once an account is created, you may begin to work on your Portfolio for the Ross School of Business!
