Students finding it harder to gain admission to U-M

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Michigan
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<p><a href="http://www.mlive.com/newsflash/regional/index.ssf?/base/news-43/1178478857162420.xml&storylist=newsmichigan%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.mlive.com/newsflash/regional/index.ssf?/base/news-43/1178478857162420.xml&storylist=newsmichigan&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The joke among some University of Michigan alumni who hope their children follow them to their alma mater is that Mom and Dad's high school credentials might not make the grade today.</p>

<p>Many of their kids are finding that to be true.</p>

<p>Increasing numbers of applicants to the state's flagship university are making the admissions process more selective. Applications have risen about 8,000 in the last 12 years, while the number of freshman entering the university remains relatively constant.</p>

<p>In 1995, about 19,000 applicant sought spots in the school's 5,300-member freshman class. This year, about 27,000 students _ the most in school history _ applied for admission.</p>

<p>Kelly Smith, a senior at Ann Arbor Pioneer High School, has a 3.8 grade-point average and took four Advanced Placement classes last semester. She was captain of the swim team and a student council vice president.</p>

<p>Still, she was twice put on a waiting list after applying to the university. She opted instead to attend Indiana University.</p>

<p>"I'm a little frustrated," she told The Ann Arbor News for a story published Sunday. "I'm not sure what tide I got caught in."</p>

<p>The university considers high GPAs and college preparatory classes in weighing applicants, but it also considers many other factors, including special talents, difficulty of high-school class work and economic hardships.</p>

<p>And after affirmative action lawsuits were filed in the late 1990s, the university changed its points-driven admissions process to a less formulaic method. Gone is the practice of awarding points to high schools with reputations for academic excellence in favor of a more subjective application emphasizing essays.</p>

<p>Michigan State University also has raised its admissions bar. The school saw its application rise 5 percent to 24,000 this year for a freshman class of about 7,200, according to Jim Cotter, acting director of admissions.</p>

<p>An Ann Arbor student with a 3.7 GPA was once almost certain to gain admission to the University of Michigan, while a 3.5 was considered a lock to get into Michigan State. Now, those students often receive deferred decisions and don't learn their fate until late in the spring, said Robyn Watson, a counselor at Huron High School in Ann Arbor.

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<p>I feel lucky to be a Wolverine!! And proud!!</p>

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Gone is the practice of awarding points to high schools with reputations for academic excellence in favor of a more subjective application emphasizing essays.

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<p>I think that quote is a little misleading. It's true, there is no points system, and therefore one cannot get points for the quality of the high school. But the quality of the high school is considered, and is a plus factor, just like other subjective aspects of the application can be plus factors.</p>

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<p>Yeah. Schools have 9th, 10th, and 11th graders take state testing once a year and based on how well they do, the school is given an API ranking. This tells admissions how difficult a school is and allows them to gauge the real gpa. I.E. if i get a 3.5 at a school like Hotchkiss, that 3.5 is worth alot more then a 3.5 at some school ranked 300. Theoretically, it also prevents studnets from going to noticeably easier schools and just trying to get 4.0's.</p>

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<p>"Theoretically, it also prevents studnets from going to noticeably easier schools and just trying to get 4.0's."</p>

<p>I don't think that many people really have much of a choice in difficulty of high school, unless you're counting not opting to go to a private school as "choosing to go to an easier school".</p>

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<p>They do. For Publics, with a permit you can go to schools in neighboring cities.</p>

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<p>Well, Wolves, you sure could have written this article word for word. I can't wait to go through another U-M admissions cycle with my '09 D. :eek:</p>

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<p>It's funny because I know the girl, I hadn't talked to her in years, but I recognized the name. My parents pointed it out to me because I normally don't care about the news. Hopefully she realizes how lucky she is and how it's a blessing in disguise. I had a much better time at IU this year than any of my friends had at Michigan.</p>

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<p>well college is really what you make out of it.</p>