Expert Admissions hosted a webinar with Blaire Moody Rideout, Director of Admissions from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. We discussed what makes a strong Ross application, Michigan’s new Early Decision option, the Integrated Business and Engineering program, and more.
Who Should Apply to Ross as an Undergraduate?
The Ross BBA is designed for students who already have a clear sense that they want to build a career in business and who want to start developing those skills as first-years. The curriculum is highly structured and immersive, with a set of core courses that start earlier than at many peer institutions. Ross is a good fit for students who are proactive and career-focused, who like team-based hands-on projects such as case studies, and who are ready to do networking, internships, and recruiting early. The BBA is a professional degree, with most students entering the workforce rather than pursuing an MBA.
Michigan’s College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA), by contrast, is more exploratory, and the curriculum is more theoretical. LSA students can still take advantage of many of Ross’s resources by enrolling in business electives, pursuing a business minor, or joining Ross-affiliated clubs and organizations. Still, if a student is interested in business, they should apply to Ross, not LSA, as it’s very rare to be able to transfer from LSA to Ross.
The New Early Decision Option
Michigan now offers a binding Early Decision (ED) round for applicants who are certain that Michigan is their first choice.The application requirements and deadline (November 1) are identical to those for Early Action (EA), but ED applicants receive their decisions in mid- to late-December, whereas EA applicants are notified in late January. Students who are deferred from ED will be deferred to EA, not to RD.
The New Integrated Business and Engineering (IBE) Program
Ross has partnered with the College of Engineering to offer the Integrated Business and Engineering (IBE) program, which allows students to earn a BBA and a BSE in four years. This program is designed for students who want to be at the intersection of technology and business—future product managers, tech entrepreneurs, or innovation leaders. The curriculum is carefully coordinated so that students take engineering fundamentals alongside core business classes, with an emphasis on hands-on projects that merge technical problem-solving with strategic thinking.
IBE candidates should be able to clearly articulate why they want a dual business-engineering education rather than one or the other. The admissions team looks for evidence of strong math and science preparation (including calculus and physics), intellectual curiosity and a track record of building things (robotics, coding, engineering clubs), and the ability to think about real-world applications of technical knowledge, such as using engineering to solve market problems. IBE is a small, cohort-based program, with only 60 students enrolled per year.
The Life Cycle of a Ross Application
Since the 2024-2025 admissions cycle, students apply directly to Ross for first-year admission. The review process for Ross is holistic. Once submitted, the application is first reviewed by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions (OUA), where a territory counselor reads it in the context of the student’s high school, transcript rigor, and GPA trends.
Simultaneously, the Ross team receives the entire application file. Their focus is on the Ross-specific portfolio—the Artifact, the Case Discussion response, and the applicant’s explanation of why they want to study business. They also read all Common App essays and review extracurriculars. After these parallel reads, the Ross team brings everything together in a committee process to make the final decision.
How to Stand Out as a Ross Applicant
Ross admissions puts a strong emphasis on academic rigor, which demonstrates a willingness to stretch academically and handle a demanding course load, like the one students will face in the BBA program. This means taking the most challenging courses available to you in high school, including four years of math (ideally through calculus) and at least two years of a world language (three or four is even better). If your school offers economics or statistics, those courses can help confirm interest but are not required.
Ross remains test-optional, which means students are not penalized for withholding scores—so think strategically. If you have a rigorous transcript with top grades, but your scores are below the average range, you may be better served applying test optional. But if your GPA is lower, or your school does not offer many advanced classes, a strong score can validate your academic readiness. Importantly, Ross superscores, so students benefit from their best section results across test dates.
In terms of extracurriculars, Ross is not looking for a checklist of business-related clubs. Instead, they want to see substance and impact. Leading a community initiative, starting a club, running a fundraiser, and working a part-time job can all demonstrate business-related skills. Admissions particularly values experiences that show initiative, teamwork, and problem-solving, not just participation.
The Ross Portfolio
The portfolio is where applicants can truly differentiate themselves. The elements of the portfolio—an artifact with essay and a business case discussion—are a chance to show that you are already thinking like a Ross student. When completing your portfolio, write in your own voice! Don’t try to emulate a polished corporate statement.
The artifact you submit should be something you can speak about in a personal way, and it does not have to be business-related. Students are encouraged to reflect on what they are most proud of over their high school years. It might be a photo of a project, a program from an event you organized, a screenshot of a website you built, or something symbolic of an achievement, but the written reflection is much more important than the object. The essay should articulate the challenge the student overcame in the creation of the artifact and what they learned in the process. It should authentically reflect who the student is–admissions officers don’t want to see an artificial artifact intended to wow them. Remember that Ross admissions values students who demonstrate initiative and impact–starting something new, taking on responsibility, or making a measurable difference in a community. At the same time, it should reveal an openness to learn–students don’t have to have it all figured out.
The case discussion component is Ross’s way of assessing critical thinking, creativity, and collaborative mindset. They are not scoring applicants on whether they describe the “right” solution, or whether their solution would work. Instead, they are looking at your thought process, creativity, and willingness to engage with complexity and balance multiple perspectives.
For all the details on these topics and more, watch the webinar above.
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