University of Michigan offensive lineman Myles Hinton transferred east during the offseason after spending his first three seasons at Stanford University and is having a hard time academically. It is no fault of his own!
Hinton is not struggling with his course load in Ann Arbor. The problem is not with his intelligence. The classes at Michigan are not substantially more difficult than those at Stanford. Nothing like that.
Rather, many of Hinton’s credits didn’t transfer.
Right now I’m in General Studies because the credits kind of messed up. I was Human Biology at Stanford. And then, for some reason, they didn’t take a lot of the credits. All my bio credits just dropped. I don’t know. It’s crazy.
— Myles Hinton
This should technically be Hinton’s senior year. He spent three years with the Cardinal. 2023 is his first with the Wolverines.
And yet, Hinton is taking classes that he already took.
I was like, ‘What in the world?’ I took an intro writing class last semester, and I was like, ‘What’s going on? What’s going on? I took this class freshman year.’ It was crazy.
— Myles Hinton
Credits from Stanford, one of the most prestigious universities in the world, did not transfer to Michigan. How does that make sense?
The Wolverines have some very strict rules that don’t bode well for transfers. Up to 60 credits from another college or university, and only 60 credits, can be applied to a degree at Michigan.
Even college football players and other athletes.
Here is how the University of Michigan explains its credit transfer decisions:
Courses that you have completed at other colleges and universities that closely match courses taught at U-M will usually transfer as ‘equivalent credit’. These courses will appear on your University of Michigan transcript with a U-M courses number assigned. These courses can be used to satisfy distribution and major requirement for LSA.
Courses at other colleges and universities whose descriptions don’t closely match courses in the same department on our campus. Departmental credit is transferable, but it is usually applicable as elective credit.
Therefore, departmental credit may not be used to satisfy admissions prerequisite requirements. Additionally, departmental credit cannot be used to satisfy distribution requirements or major/minor requirements without the permission of an academic or major advisor within the school/college.
— University of Michigan admissions
Part of this logic makes sense. Hinton isn’t a graduate transfer and it would be kinda weird if Michigan allowed him to take a few classes and still get his degree from a school he attended for just one third of his college career.
However, it’s not like Hinton moved from a JUCO. He is moved from Stanford.
Surely, SURELY, there must be a way to make Stanford credits work at Michigan!