<p>Michigan has received over 31,000 applications in the 2009-2010 application cycle. That's a pretty hefty jump from last year's 29,950. The acceptance rate will most likely remain over 40% unless our yield stays over 45% and Michigan aims for a class of 5,500. Still, with Michigan joining the Common Application in the fall, Michigan's applicant pool will probably jump to well over 40,000 in the next 3-4 years. Eventually, Michigan's acceptance rate will drop to 30%.</p>
<p>hope they do better job with sending out deicisons once they join CA ^^ Srsly, what they are doing now is ludicrous</p>
<p>As frustrating as it is for all those waiting for decisions, one thing I will always give Michigan credit for is that they really do look at a students application. Several years ago, when my D applied, due to medical issues her stats were a bit inconsistent. After being deferred EA, she sent them additional info and they accepted her. Some of the other schools she had applied to were just very cut and dried, numbers driven…more interested in the rankings than building an interesting and diverse class. </p>
<p>It’s not easy for a public school the size of Michigan to accomplish that, but to their credit, from what I see they do a good job. I hope that doesn’t change with the overwhelming increase in applications that will come with the CA.</p>
<p>I seriously don’t like the common app. If a student wants admission into a university, they should take the time and put in effort in order to complete and application. It would show that the student is interested and wants to attend. </p>
<p>Instead, that one student just fills one form out, send it to 10+ schools, pay and be done with it. It just seems so pointless and the student shows no interest what so ever in the university itself. Its just a “where can I get accepted” game.</p>
<p>I don’t like the common app either WolfPackFan, but with 21 of the top 25 universities now on it, it makes sense for Michigan to join the crowd.</p>
<p>That last comment suggests the author did not look at and much less apply to any common app schools. In addition to the common app essays, each of the more sought after common app schools had an additional 2-3 essays. Instead of easier, the common app makes the process even more involved.</p>
<p>I agree too, too many people are just going to write off U of M on their common app just because they can and because they don’t really care. Imagine how tough it is when they are sifting through OOS applicants with similar/same stats trying to figure out who really wants to go and who doesnt.</p>
<p>I know that the essay speaks a lot for that, but still. Well the acceptance rate is going to go down, so hopefully people don’t dismiss U of M as an easy school to get in anymore.</p>
<p>AlaskaDad, No, I didn’t use the common app to apply to any schools. But my opinion still stays the same. A student can now fill out one application, write one essay (maybe more as you suggested), and then apply to all the schools the student chooses as long as they accept the common app. </p>
<p>The idea works good in theory but you instead receive a ton of applicants who applied just for the heck of seeing where they can get in. Students who actually care deeply about attending the university may get lost in the crowd, while students who don’t give a damn about Michigan may get accepted with no intention of attending.</p>
<p>I mean, lets get real. Students use the common app to spam a large amount of universities at once. Some just want to see where they can get in, and I am afraid that Michigan will start accepting applicants who applied just for the heck of applying, while denying similar applicants with a burning desire to attend Michigan.</p>
<p>WolfPackfan,</p>
<p>You obviously don’t know what you are talking about and it’s even funny that you criticize Common App when you have never used it. The beauty of Common App lies in the fact that we, applicants, never have to rewrite the general informations (addresses and such, and if you are an international applicant, this is painful as hell) that can sometimes be stressful, especially if you are applying to ten or so schools. What you are basically saying is that writing my name, addresses and test scores repeatedly matters more than my personal essays. I actually applied to Georgetown and Michigan (who require separate application form) and few other Common App schools so I can say this - just because a school is in the Common App, you don’t necessarily just spam it out because essay itself can also be painful.</p>
<p>wywqudtlsh,
Michigan anyways had 3 essays, 4 for me with ross pre admit, I doubt they’ll add more essays, so it will become significantly easier to apply with one not having to go through the whole process of filling out the forms. I agree that its stressful but in a way its good because it makes a person really think if they want to attend a school and if its worth applying there rather than applying to a bunch of different schools just because they can. And to be very honest if you applied through common app this year you wouldve realised how similar many of the supplements are, which in effect nullifies your argument. My essay for Northwestern, Cornell and Emory was exactly the same (with a few paras cut in the Emory one to meet word limit) and I got through in NU and Emory.</p>
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<p>This “prediction” is by its very nature (due to the qualifier: “eventually”) unfalsifiable and therefore basically useless and unmeaningful.</p>
<p>^what are you talking about? If U of M joins the common app, application numbers are going to increase without a doubt, which will obviously drive the acceptance rate down. People find it strange that a really good school like U of M has a 40% acceptance rate - thats because not many people apply to it in the first place and its a huge school.</p>
<p>You totally misunderstood my post. My point is that, without giving a specific time frame for the event (i.e. “Michigan’s acceptance rate will drop to 30%”) to occur, the “prediction” is meaningless. As it stands, it can never be proven false.</p>
<p>That said, I don’t think it’s a very good “prediction” if it’s for the “next 3-4 years.” There are too many variables (e.g. general admissions trends, student demographics, the economy, etc.) to consider. It’s like trying to predict what the NASDAQ index is going to look like in 3-4 years. Who knows?</p>
<p>lol is there a reason to pick apart his words? The acceptance rate is going to go down period. how much it will go down by and by what time nobody knows obviously. But there most likely is going to be a drop starting the year they open up the common app.</p>
<p>Thank you nikeboy3004 for explaining what I meant. </p>
<p>wywqudtlsh, I know full well how the common app works. The reason I didn’t use the common app was because only one of four schools I applied to accepted the common app. </p>
<p>My problem with the common app isn’t that it makes the application process easier. My problem with it is that it makes it too easy,too quick, and students abuse it like crazy. </p>
<p>Like you said, every application makes you write down your basic information and its a very tedious process. But this process makes students apply to less schools, which is what I am advocating. People who have little to no desire to attend Michigan will apply simply because all they have to do is click yes and apply. Not everyone who applies through to common app will be like that, but a good amount will.</p>
<p>These students who “spam” universities, may squeeze out students who actually want to attend said university. That to me is wrong. That is my problem with the common application.</p>
<p>Also, there is no reason to apply to more than four of five schools. You can’t possibly want to attend more. Make up your damn mind.</p>
<p>I, for one, do not believe that Michigan’s admit rate will ever drop below 30%.</p>
<p>Wolfpack … I understand your point and were it as you think, I would agree with you. However, your position is based upon a false premise … there is no way to “spam” universities using the common app. Its really very simple, the more schools one applies to the harder the process as you add 2-3 school specific essays for each common app school you apply to. More apps equals exponetially more work. As for the applying to only 4-5 schools…not in this competitive environment. Vegas was built by the losses from gamblers who were comfortable with such odds.</p>
<p>Will Michigan still have the option to use a paper application? If so, if I filled that out rather than the common app one, do you think they will appreciate the fact that it’s hand written rather than sent online?</p>
<p>^
It’ll have the opposite effect</p>
<p>
I see what you mean. Agh, isn’t it true though that common app changes only take effect after the 2nd year of using it? That’s what I heard from other posts. It sucks being class of 2011 now in high school.</p>