I still havent gotten in yet...

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Michigan
161

<p>@kitkat: Early December - a little late? Try February 1, LOL. Hence, I don't see my chances as great, but I'm happy with my acceptance. However, if I may just point out, their "flawed" or slow admission process should not be a reflection of the school's academic aspects, based on the fact that admissions officers are part of a separate department from professors and deans. Some of them are even graduate students. </p>

<p>Correct me if I am wrong, please. My source is a book titled "On Writing the College Application Essay" by Harry Bauld, a former Ivy League admissions officer.</p>

162

<p>I agree with you KmaqMom. I am tired of people saying the kids that have been deferred or have not even heard from Michigan are "Borderline" My son applied before the October deadline as well.... It is utterly brutal to do this to these kids. Especially when over the summer the admissions/tour people went on and on about the need to apply early. Thankfully my son has some other fantastic offers but I know in his heart he wants Michigan. </p>

<p>As for blaming the lack of decision making on the internet that is just ridiculous. UCLA had over 55,000 applicants, Harvard 27,000, etc, etc. and somehow they all managed to get word out in a timely matter. </p>

<p>Although Michigan is a good school, it has left a bitter taste.......</p>

163

<p>My understanding is that it was the whole change away from rolling decisions to early action this year. But I could be wrong :)</p>

<p>I would guess that there are tons of great applicants who have not heard back from them yet.</p>

164

<p>If you have just now gotten a "view decision" link, but the linked page just simply tells you that a decision has been made, does this mean youre rejected?</p>

165

<p>^^ at this point, we really don't know. In the earlier decisions, that usually mean rejected/deferred/waitlisted, but I heard that they are not announcing decisions on wolverine access anymore. so don't give up!</p>

166

<p>When I called, they told me that all 3 types of decisions -- accepted, denied, and waitlisted-- will be sent out by snail mail by April 15 ( could be earlier, but they "can't promise") If you are accepted or waitlisted, it will also show up on W.A.
Looks like quite a few parents are here, like me. I will speak for myself and say I am angry at the way UM has handled this ( and no....the internet cannot be blamed!!) and also feel so badly for my S and all the other kids who were expecting a great school like UM to treat them with more dignity.</p>

167

<p>^^^^</p>

<p>Ugh, so I guess that means I was denied since I neither of those showed up on my Wolverine.</p>

168

<p>Nothing here</p>

169

<p>He said on April 15th it will show up. </p>

<p>Nothing on WA yet, but I'm guessing on the 15th everything will be clear.</p>

170

<p>chambay used the word "Dignity." Good word. "Respect" would be another good word. </p>

<p>In my earlier post I said we're trying to keep an open mind and give the school the benefit of the doubt. But the more I think about this the more it frosts me.</p>

<p>Michigan says Deferred means "qualified to admit," but we don't know if we'll have enough space, so hang in there and we'll get back to you. </p>

<p>In other words, "you'll do if we can't get who we really want." And then, on top of that, they make the kids wait. For months. </p>

<p>Think of it in terms other than college admissions, like dating, for example. How would a kid feel if he or she asked somebody they really liked to the Prom, and did so months in advance to send the message that their potential date is their clear first choice (and maybe even tells them as much in so many words), and for their troubles the answer they get is "If the guy/girl I'd rather go with doesn't ask me then sure," and then, to add insult to injury, they hear not a single word from their potential date until just a few days before the Prom?</p>

<p>The Early Response (sic) dealine was 10/31/07. If being deferred meant the kids had to wait a few extra weeks, well, OK. I'd get that. It's very competitive and all that. But it's been since before Halloween for Pete's sake. At some point there has to be a line between being patient and being used. The kids deserve better.</p>

171

<p>Michigan is a victim of its ER/rolling admission policy. </p>

<p>For those who have received a deferred decision, let's put things in perspective. Let's say, you apply ED to a school like Emory or Cornell and submit your application by Nov 1. You receive a letter saying you are deferred. When do you expect a final decision then - April 1. Nobody complains about having to wait for 5 months for the final decision ... as this is the way things are done for ED.</p>

<p>Or let's say you apply to UCB. You submit your application by Nov 30 and you get your decison by Mar 27. You don't get any indication from the school in between ... and yet nobody complains about having to wait 4 months as that's the way the UCs operate.</p>

<p>I'd like to see Michigan go to a priority/RD format like UIUC. Rolling admission makes its trickier to put together a balanced class, as your target moves all the time. The introduction of ER this year (and the overwhelming response) added to the complications. Rolling admission is an advantage for Michigan. However, the volume of applications have pushed the process to the limits ... and imo it's no longer feasible ... plus it raises false expectations that Michigan, under the current process, cannot meet.</p>

172

<p>Winchester: ditto, ditto and ditto.....</p>

<p>When I was peeved back in December, all the admitees attacked me that I was a "sore loser"...
As stated earlier, we decided to get more info and pursue what was going on over in Ann Arbor and, as stated earlier, the answer we got was evasive and not pretty (and this was to a guidance dept supervisor)....</p>

<p>Based on that info, which I DEFINITELY posted back in December, we withdrew....the lack of respect was overwhelming......</p>

<p>"Michigan says Deferred means "qualified to admit," but we don't know if we'll have enough space, so hang in there and we'll get back to you. "</p>

<p>IMO, all of those "qualified to admit" were also obviously qualified to be admitted to other top 20 schools and have moved on.......I just hope that others that come behind our kids know the situation and understand what the deferral REALLY means in December.....They should just reject; it would be sooo much easier......(or waitlist everyone that they supposedly "don't have enough space for"....)</p>

<p>My daughter used to have a friend who she would ask to hang out with on a Friday night...the friend would say "we'll see" and then tell her she had plans with someone else....waiting for something better to come along??? </p>

<p>GOBLUE: Emory does not defer in ED: It's an admit or defer decision....In EDII this year, they waitlisted a few....</p>

173

<p>
[quote]
Emory does not defer in ED: It's an admit or defer decision

[/quote]

What is the difference between "defer" and "defer decision"? Btw, Emory is just an example, most of the ED/EA schools hand out admit-reject-defer decisions, and most don't offer EDII.</p>

<p>And most of the top 20 schools hand out RD decisions around April 1, about 4 months or more after you submit your application.</p>

174

<p>So sorry, typed too fast....They only admitted or rejected; no deferrals....My bad......</p>

175

<p>I know, in the greater scheme of things, this too shall pass. If my son goes to one of the other schools he's been accepted to, or if he gets accepted to Michigan and decides to go there and has a good experience, then all of this will be forgotten in short order.</p>

<p>I don't mean to turn this into a rant against Michigan. I just meant to say something that maybe others were thinking but possibly hadn't really come right out and said, and in that way commiserate a little with others in the same boat. </p>

<p>And I appreciate what GoBlue81 said about ED at other schools, and about Michigan being a victim of their own good intentions. It does seem like they got in over their head with this.</p>

<p>And, I don't mean to make this into a bigger deal than it is. Things happen. I get it. But I'm 51 years old. I'm not a kid who's worked hard to get good grades in the hopes of getting into a good school, believed in a school's promises, and in good faith done everything the school asked, only to have the school say, in effect, "Never mind. We didn't mean it."</p>

<p>It's just that Michigan seems to have handled this poorly. They way they've gone about it comes across as a bit shady. And it's sad that the kids full of hope get the bad end of the deal when it didn't have to happen at all. </p>

<p>In the talk we heard when we visited, and on the school's web site, and in mailings we received, Michigan touts Early Response as a major feature of their admissions approach. Even today, their web site says, in bold print at the top, "Complete your application by October 31st. Receive a decision by December 21st." </p>

<p>University</a> of Michigan - Office of Undergraduate Admissions</p>

<p>The regular sized font on the same web page says "For all students whose completed1 applications are received by October 31st, we will guarantee that a decision2 will be released by December 21st. "</p>

<p>"Decision." "Guarantee." Those a strong words for a hopeful 17 year old.</p>

<p>Notice the "1" and the "2" in the quote? On the web page those are superscript numbers, like footnote numbers in a term paper. The "2" refers to a note at the very bottom of the page that says "Decisions will include admit, defer, and deny. Students who are deferred will receive a final decision by early April."</p>

<p>So yeah, technically, they were up front about it, but only in the fine print. </p>

<p>It just seems so, I don't know, car salesman - ish on the part of the school to build up the kids' hopes with the big sales banners and promise a decision by a certain date, only to say that what it decided was not to decide...yet. If that's what it's going to do, then why bother? What's the point? Why the big sales pitch? It makes the whole Early Response thing seem like an empty gimmick; a broken promise. If that's all it's going to be then don't make the promise in the first place, or at least don't play it up so much.</p>

<p>As another parent said somewhere else on College Confidential, maybe sometimes we suffer for the kids more than they actually suffer themselves. In a week or two this will probably be a fading memory, and by move-in date at whichever school my son ends up going to it will probably be forgotten completely. </p>

<p>What I do know is that my kid will go to a great school and have a great time and get a great education. The only thing I don't know, yet, is which school it will be.</p>

<p>Anyway, I've said my piece (I think). Thanks for listening.</p>

176

<p>My d went through the application process last year and I think the promise of a decision by 12/21 for those who apply by 10/31 is helpful - even if it is a deferral. If deferred then you know that you absolutely need to apply elsewhere - and probably to schools with slightly lower admission stats. If you do end up getting in - great - if not then you've at least applied to alternatives.
Last year my d applied in early Nov thinking she would hear from Michigan by Christmas (rough guideline of 6 weeks from past application years which turned out to be unrealistic - partly due to the law changing the admission process). She was hoping to avoid applying to several other schools that were lower on her list but had to do them anyway. She didn't hear until February and was getting very nervous. Whatever they can do to make the time line more clear is appreciated.<br>
However I do think Michigan needs to complete their application process by April 1st or they run the risk of losing potential enrollees. The earlier they admit kids the earlier the kids start thinking of themselves as Wolverines instead of something else.</p>

177

<p>Can someone tell me? Why would they be holding onto REJECTED applications until April 15th? Why not just release those and put an end to this "game" for some of us?
I understand holding onto the waitlisted people, but if they have a pile of Accepteds...then why are they holding those? If UM finds themselves up to capacity, will they "cross off" ACCEPTED and write in REJECTED??</p>

178

<p>Wow - I wish I was as articulate as Winchester. He/She echoed my sentiments. My D is still waiting - one of the defered ones from Dec. I think at this point, it is too late and she has decided to take an offer from another school. It is the "not knowing" that is irritating me the most. As Chambay says, if it is a rejection -- so be it and let the kids know -- and why by snail mail -- in this brave new tech savvy world.</p>

179

<p>hm..i want my decision..preferably before christmas.</p>

180

<p>And also preferably before my first day at college :S</p>