Admissions

Connect Common App & Xello

Students use both Common App and Xello to help track their college applications. For colleges that work with the Common App, students send requests to educators to send application forms on their behalf. They request that a counselor send their counselor forms, and a teacher send a teacher evaluation.

They'll continue to complete the rest of their application tasks directly in Common App, including building out their profile, creating the My Colleges list, and submitting the college application.

Once students have synced their accounts, the colleges they save in Common App will show in Xello. Students will also see all the colleges that use Common App by the logo next to the college name. By clicking on one of these schools, they can begin sending a request to an educator.

Watch this video to see how to connect your Common App to Xello. 

Helpful Resources:

FERPA Release Authorization

AXS Companion - This resource is a guide to walk you through the Common Application (Common App) process. 

Over and over institutions tell us their undergraduate admissions use a holistic review process for selection. The holistic review process evaluates academic preparation, recommendation letters (if required), nonacademic engagement, student writing, and any other context submitted in the application. 

When students are making their decision, it can be helpful to look at the mid ranges or averages listed in the incoming class’s fast facts which can be found in Xello and on college websites. Please note the data provided are mid ranges/averages of only students that submitted SAT/ACT scores. Using this context can be helpful when making the decision of whether to submit SAT/ACT scores.

While a school may be test optional for the SAT/ACT, they still recommend students submit their AP if available. For AP examinations, we recommend submitting scores which are 3 or higher. 

Ultimately, the question to ask is if and how SAT/ACT scores fit into the overall context of a student’s application. Does it strengthen a student’s application? Does it reflect consistency of the student’s academic performance? Does it note standardized testing is maybe not a student's strong suit? Context is an important part of most Undergraduate Admissions selection framework - evaluating student’s scores in the context of their own application, their school, and any other applicable factors is an important tool in determining whether students should submit their test scores. 

For any further questions about a specific institution's SAT/ACT optional policy, please connect with one of their admission's representatives. They are happy to answer questions and their job is to help students get in - keep them out. Contact information can be found on Xello or on the institutions' websites.

Here you'll find a list of all 84 public and private, 2-year and 4-year colleges in Michigan with institution-specific information such as admissions and financial aid.

MCAN Institution Resource

The Michigan College Guide is a tool to help students find a path to the right colleges. It is a great source of information for college selection. Information is included regarding:

• Undergraduate Stats
• Faculty
• Majors
• Academic Calendar
• Student Organizations
• Housing
• Admissions
• Tuition
• Financial Aid 
• ... and more!

Michigan College Guide

GRCC

Upon enrollment, students who have not taken the ACT, SAT or have 12 or less college credits must take the Accuplacer assessment for admissions to GRCC.

We provide three placement tests to determine your strengths and weaknesses in subjects including.

• ALEKS - All students must take ALEKS, except if you have taken a college-level math course that fulfills the prerequisite for the class in which you would like to enroll.
• Accuplacer - If you have not taken the SAT, ACT or have 12 or more college credits
• Levels of English Proficiency (LOEP) - only if you are a permanent U.S. resident and do not speak English as your first language.