UMSI already on your mind?

Preferred admission is a way for high school students applying to the University of Michigan to indicate their interest in joining the School of Information in their sophomore year.

If you’re admitted to U-M, you’ll be guaranteed a spot in the Bachelor of Science in Information program — provided you meet the program’s requirements and submit a formal application to transfer by January 15 of your first year at U-M.

There are two ways to receive preferred admission status:

• When applying to U-M, select “preferred admission” to the School of Information on your Common Application.
• If you didn’t select preferred admission on the Common Application, you can still request it by emailing [email protected] during your first fall term at U-M.

To learn more about the BSI program and the admissions process, attend an information session. Want to stay in the loop? Join our interest list.

The application for Fall 2025 is now closed.

The application for Fall 2026 will open in September.

Requirements for admission

Students with preferred admission must fulfill the admissions requirements below to enter the BSI program. 

Academic standing 

To maintain your preferred admission status, you must have a minimum overall 3.0 GPA at the time of your application to UMSI and be in good academic standing until you enroll. 

Credits 

You must complete a minimum of 24 credits from UM-Ann Arbor by the end of your first academic year (i.e., by the end of the winter semester). 

Prerequisite courses

Applicants to the BSI program are required to complete the following prerequisite courses with a grade of B or better by the end of their first academic year (i.e., by the end of the winter semester) at UM-Ann Arbor — they cannot be taken Pass/Fail. 

We recommend taking these courses in your first semester if possible. You can be enrolled in both prerequisite courses at the time of your application, so long as you complete them in the winter semester.

• SI 101: Introduction to Programming with Python
  • The equivalent courses EECS 183, ENGR 101 and ROB 102 will fulfill this requirement, though SI 101 is strongly preferred.
  • SI 101 meets the U-M LSA Math and Symbolic Analysis distribution requirement
• ENGLISH 124 or 125 (or equivalent first-year writing requirement course)
  • Information regarding first-year writing courses can be found on this page. You can also search for first-year writing courses in the LSA course guide by checking First-Year Writing Requirement (FYWR) under the Skills Requirement dropdown menu.

Additional coursework to consider

• SI 110: Introduction to Information Studies
  • While this course is not a required prerequisite for admission, students are encouraged to take it before joining the BSI program because it serves as a good introduction to information science and to UMSI. Students who don’t take SI 110 before enrolling will instead complete it in their first semester of the BSI program.
  • SI 110 meets the U-M LSA Social Science distribution requirement. 

Submitting your application 

Deadline: Jan. 15

Application materials

You will be asked to submit the following materials as part of your application:

• An unofficial U-M transcript
• A list of all other colleges or universities where you have earned college credits, and an unofficial transcript from each
  • Transcripts must include the student’s name, the name of the school, the courses taken and the grade received
• Your resume
  • Your resume should include your education, work experience, internships, volunteering, community engagement, research experience, leadership positions, honors/awards, skills with proficiency level, and any special accomplishments.
  • Please visit the University Career Center website if you would like to see tips on writing or improving your resume, view sample resumes, or schedule a resume review. 

Essay

You will be asked to submit one essay as part of your application, which gives you an opportunity to provide additional information about your interests and experiences.

• Essay prompt (300 words or less)
  • What sparked your interest in the Bachelor of Science in Information program? Tell us about the passions, goals or experiences that led you here. Share specific examples — a classroom experience, hobby, accomplishment or personal interest — that highlight your most distinctive qualities. 

Optional supplemental materials 

If you did not have the opportunity to adequately highlight a significant talent, skill and/or ability in other sections of your application, you may submit supplemental materials with your application. Please note: “optional” means these materials are neither required nor expected.

Supplemental materials may include:

• Additional information
  • You might provide context to address lower grades, lack of extracurricular involvement due to family responsibilities, or circumstances that inhibited your ability to perform at your best.
• Design project(s)
• Portfolio
• Other information that you think might benefit your application

All supplemental materials — except for the “additional information” section — must be included in your application as a link. You may link to a document or a website that showcases work you’d like the review team to consider. Please make sure that any links you provide are accessible to anyone with the URL and lead directly to the relevant materials.