Early snapshot shows reduced applications for freshman admission

Updated 12:00 noon February 16, 2004

Early snapshot shows reduced applications for freshman admission

By Laurel Thomas Gnagey

A preliminary look at admissions for the freshman class of 2004-05 reveals an 18 percent decrease in applications to date but only a 1 percent drop in the number of undergraduates admitted to the University, according to Director of Undergraduate Admissions Ted Spencer.

Applications from underrepresented minority candidates are down about 23 percent, Spencer said at a Feb. 9 news briefing. Admission of minority students also lags behind last year, although Spencer notes that many applications came in at the last minute and a large number have yet to be evaluated.

As of Feb. 5 applications to the University totaled 20,125, down from 24,447 on the same date in 2002-03. So far this year 8,584 students have been admitted, compared with 8,692 at this time last year. The freshman enrollment target for summer/fall 2004 is 5,545.

"Although applications are down, the quality of students is similar to last year, perhaps even stronger," Spencer said. "But we won't know for sure what the composition of our class will be until much further along in our process."

Confusion over the outcome of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on a lawsuit challenging the University's undergraduate admissions practices and a ballot effort underway in Michigan to eliminate affirmative action may be contributing to the drop in minority applications, he said.

"There's a lot of misinformation out there about what happened in the lawsuit," Spencer said. "We may need some more time to work with schools, parents and organizations about what we're doing here at Michigan."

If history holds true, however, Associate Admissions Director Chris Lucier said a good percentage of the several thousand applications that have yet to be evaluated could be from underrepresented minority applicants, who typically seek admission late in the process. Applications were due Feb. 1. Lucier says 1,800 applications came in just before the deadline, a last-minute rush that he believes is a record for the office.

The June Supreme Court ruling struck down the use of a point system for undergraduate admissions. During the summer, a new process was developed that involves more student essays, recommendations from counselors and teachers, and more detailed information from each applicant.

A month-long delay in the start of the admissions process while the new form was being developed also may have contributed to the reduced numbers, Lucier said. He also believes the more thorough application may have deterred some applicants.

"There is some speculation that now that universities have made their applications more complex, students may apply to fewer universities," Lucier said.

Other top universities across the country are seeing fewer applications this year, Spencer and Lucier said. The Ohio State University, in particular, revised its admissions process in ways very similar to U-M, and it is experiencing similar trends.

Admissions staff members have done considerable outreach this year. They visited 500 high schools in Michigan and another 144 out of state, and participated in 116 college fairs. They held a one-day workshop for 140 high school counselors around the state and sent correspondence to others, who now have a role in making student recommendations. They also have done outreach to Detroit, Pontiac and Flint schools, and conducted 22 outreach sessions with alumni, recruiting them to help encourage admissions. Lucier said more outreach efforts may be needed.

He said the Admissions Office was expecting this year to be one of transition as everyone adjusted to the new process. Lucier said the new system involving multiple levels of highly individualized review is working very well, and that the University is gathering much more information about students through the new applications.

Spencer stressed that it is too early to determine the reason for the reduced applications, but he said recent years of record-level interest probably should be considered an anomaly.

"Twenty thousand was the number of applications we received four years ago. The last several years have been boon years," he said. "I feel good about our outreach and recruitment efforts. I'm reassured that the students we're admitting now are strong."

Early snapshot shows reduced applications for freshman admission

More Stories