<p>Nope, I wasn't deferred. But I wasn't an average applicant either, and UM isn't responsible for what kind of stats you bring to the table. It's really not.</p>
<p>You kid's sense of entitlement is getting to me a bit. UM doesn't owe you anything except a decision by the date that it promised, which is mid-april. If it's may 1st and you still don't have anything, that's a differant thing.</p>
<p>ope! the mighty kb talks</p>
<p>Mid April gives each applicant 2 weeks to make their college plans. If Michigan comes to their deferred applicants at April 15th, and says "Hey, guess what, we don't want you!", and that college is their 1st choice, then they are scrambling around quickly paying ridiculous airfares to visit their schools, have little time to work with aid offices if their award isn't sufficient. Why? Why not have an earlier date? Mid-April isn't a date. Every other major institution has a decision by a certain date, but Michigan says "ehhhh, lets wait and see and take all the kids that Brown and Cornell don't want". Why would a institution that claims to be a top 25 university have such a terrible admissions process towards the average applicant? It's just going back to the "ivy reject" theory.</p>
<p>Look, we get that you're bent at Michigan, and it's understandable. But in your irritation I think you're reaching. "Let's wait and see how many of the Brown/Cornell/Other Ivy rejects we can take?" What an odd way for any school to frame their enrollment management policy--that is not what Michigan does. Now I confess I know less about Kines--it has very different processes and policies, but I am certain that Kinesiology is not waiting to see who Brown denies. Kinesiology has a different set of peers related to its specific focus, and is also managing enrollment of a disproportionate number of scholarship athletes. It's a different ball of wax you're talking about. </p>
<p>You may have missed it from an earlier page, but I'm looking to know what we're talking about in terms of the majority/vast majority of apps being deferred and the other claims you've made. Are you talking about Kines in particular, or the overall applicant pool? </p>
<p>No applicant should wait until the last possible moment to visit his or her backup schools. It's unfortunate if students have turned down invitations to open houses and campus days because they refuse to visit another school until Michigan gives them a firm answer. That's not Michigan's fault. </p>
<p>Obviously I hope that's not how most applicants are doing their decision-making--among those who did, I presume some number of them live close enough to the alternate choices to not have to buy plane tickets on a moment's notice. </p>
<p>Michigan has not managed every applicant in an optimal way. No argument there. But I disagree with a good bit of the rest of the stuff you're telling your fellow applicants.</p>
<p>A2Wolves, I feel your pain. We have all been through it, whether with Michigan or any another process where the outcome was unclear. It is easy to say that's life, but it is. We will always be faced with uncertainty, whether it is with university applications, job interviews, watching our favorite athlete/team make it to the final stages of an important event only to fall flat, proposing marriage to the person of your dreams etc.... At any rate, Michigan, like any top university, is going to be a little stricter on the "average" applicant than most universities...not because it wants to, but rather because it HAS to. Michigan gets applications from over 20,000 applicants annually (over 25,000 this year). Most of those applicants are, like yourself, qualified. Unfortunately, the University can only extend offers to 12,000-13,000 (fewer than 12,000 offers are expected this year) of those applicants. I'd say maybe 9,000-10,000 applicants are clear or definite admits (4.0 GPA, 1400+ SAT scores, top 5% class rankings) and probably 2,000-3,000 are clearly not going to get in (sub 3.3 GPAs with sub 1200 SAT scores). Unfortunately, there are 10,000 or so qualified applicants who must hope to make the cut for the remaining 2,000-4,000 availlable spaces not taken by the clear or definite admits. This year, given the number of applicants and the reduction in the class size, I would say that Michigan is faced with over 10,000 middle-of-the-road applicants for fewer than 2,000 acceptances. Of course, those numbers are purely estimated, but I am pretty sure they are close to the mark.</p>
<p>I find it interesting how the current students seem to have one perspective while the applicants seem to have another, even though we've all been through the same process. Since us freshmen are a year removed from the emotions, we can see admissions for what it really is and put our selfishness-fogged glasses toward admission aside. The university does what it can to make sure it accepts the best students possible, something we should be applauding rather than despising. I really don't see how anyone can make judgments on another applicant's admissions experiences. I waited 7 months on a decision from Stanford (my first choice), but I had a cool enough head to realize they were evaluating a ton of qualified applicants and wanted to make the right decisions and there was no personal benefit in stressing and worrying in the mean time, so I enjoyed life, and I'm a happier person for it.</p>
<p>In fairness to those who are frustrated, I must say that Michigan's rolling admissions may be out-dated. Let us face it, it was ok when Michigan had fewer than 20,000 applicants. But with 25,000+ applicants and a rising trend, it may be too difficult to maintain.</p>
<p><em>shameless plug</em></p>
<p>If you all are really irked by UM's rolling admissions process; consider getting active w/ MSA or LSA-SG when you get here in the fall. This is the kinda of stuff that we like to work on.</p>
<p><em>end shameless plug</em></p>
<p>If you want to see some real injustice, head on over to the Northwestern Forums, they had so many problems releasing their decisions that most of the people on the forum just seem disgusted by now.</p>
<p>Attn those who bash the deferred applicants on the boards: You guys have never went through what we are going through so you cant talk about us. The end.</p>
<p>mojojojo, the irony is that your situation is not really the same as the freshman applicants. Transfer applications are handled separately, and the decisions about "how many" and "when" aren't a big enrollment management question.</p>
<p>I mean, obviously, to you it feels the same--you'd like a decision and you'd like it sooner rather than later, just like they would. But this is just how the transfer process is--the transfer admit decision processing numbers (number admitted, number deferred) look about the same as they did last year at this point.</p>
<p>Umm...what do you mean we never went through what you went through. I seem to remember applying to college, dealing w/ the uncertainty and stress. I didn't stage a nutty, I didn't start picketing the Admissions Office, I just dealed with it. I recommened the same for all. Chill out! The republic will stand if you have to wait another day for notification.</p>
<p>kb, it's like you're cursed in this forum. In December you were being taken to task for not being "ethnic" enough. Now you're dismissed because you weren't deferred enough. :)</p>
<p>I think in general you just need to suffer more. Work on that, would you?</p>
<p>
[quote]
No applicant should wait until the last possible moment to visit his or her backup schools.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Good advice. It's safer to treat a deferral like a rejection and make sure your Plan B is solidly in place. If an admit lands in your lap in the next few weeks, it's not that big of a deal to switch gears. </p>
<p>Believe me guys, I know all too well your frustration about the admissions process, the long wait, the extra competition this year, everything. H. and I are alums and having our in-state son deferred as a legacy was a bitter pill to swallow. Unfortunately, that's life. Rather than dwell on your unknown fate with Michigan, focus on the other excellent college options that are available to you now.</p>
<p>LOL...hoedown, that comment is SO my new away message for today.</p>
<p>I must admit that KB is an enigma. I remember when he reluctantly joined the Michigan family back in September. Today, not only is he a Wolverine, but he is an elected official of the student body! Of course, his not having been deferred enough is a shame. Maybe you can arrange for some post-admission deferral Hoedown, You do work for the office of admissions afterall! hehe</p>
<p>Umm...deferral jokes on a deferred student thread?? Tone it down perhaps?</p>
<p>Your point is well taken GBAM. Although we were not mocking the students, it is not appropriate nonetheless.</p>
<p>
<p>I think in general you just need to suffer more. Work on that, would you?
</p>
<p>KB wasnt deferred, i dont see the point of non-deferred applicants bashing those that are. Get over it, we dont like the system and maybe we shouldnt have applied. Big deal!</p>
<p>I'm pretty sure I didn't bash you. I'm giving some edgy advice; advice that you'd do well to heed.</p>