U-M Minority Applications Down 21 Percent U-M Minority Applications Down 21 Percent
Detroit Free Press
http://www.freep.com/news/latestnews/pm20004_20040527.htm
By Maryanne George, Free Press Ann Arbor Bureau
Thu, May 27, 2004
Undergraduate minority applications at the University of Michigan are down 21 percent and total applications are down 18 percent, according to figures released Thursday.
But the first-year class this fall could still be the largest in its history.
Minority applications are down 21 percent, including a 25 percent drop among African Americans and a 13 percent drop among Hispanic applicants. Native American applications dropped 8 percent.
The decline may be due in part to a misunderstanding among some minorities about the U.S. Supreme Court decision last year, according to U-M admissions director Ted Spencer.
Although the court struck down the undergraduate point system, which awarded extra points to minorities, it upheld the use of race in admissions to further campus diversity.
Total applications fell from 25,918 by May 16, 2003 to 21,261 for the same period this year, a drop of 18 percent.
But paid enrollment deposits have increased 8 percent overall, as of May 16, an 8 percent increase over last year. That's 1,026 more students than U-M needs to hit its target enrollment of 5,545. Among minorities, deposits have dropped 5 percent, compared to last year.
U-M officials say some students will still decide not to enroll over the summer and final numbers will not be available until fall.
Curt Levey, a lawyer for the plaintiffs who sued U-M, said the drop in minority enrollment may indicate that U-M is seeking more than just racial diversity.
"These numbers appear to indicate a shift from their obsession with racial diversity to broader diversity," Levey said.
A tougher application process requiring multiple essays and more personal information apparently weeded out students who weren't serious applicants, accounting for some of the drop in applications, said Spencer.
U-M has hired 51 people and spent $1.8 million to implement the new admissions process.
Students who were admitted were invited to receptions and campus visits to encourage them to enroll, said Chris Lucier, U-M associate admissions director. Attendance at the programs was up nearly 20 percent.
Of the 13,272 students who were admitted, 49 percent accepted U-M's offer, compared to 43 percent last year.
"No one ever guessed we would have the yields we have today," Spencer said. "We started the process late and it was more involved. But the quality of the students is as good or better than ever."
The new application asked for more information about students' socio-economic status and family situation. But it is still unclear whether the new data will create a more economically diverse class, Spencer said.
Last year 53 percent of the first-year class came from homes with incomes of more than $100,000. Although U-M pledges to meet the financial needs of in-state students, low income students are less likely to take on loans, according to U-M spokeswoman Julie Peterson.
About 66 percent of U-M undergraduates are receiving financial aid, she said. U-M President Mary Sue Coleman has recently asked for a complete review of the university's financial aid programs to better assist low-income students.
U-M officials will begin meeting with high school counselors throughout the state next week for feedback on the new application process, he said. Admissions officials expect to make only minor changes in the process.
How to house and educate what could be U-M's largest first-year class has sent U-M officials scurrying to find extra housing and expand course offerings. Housing officials will have a better idea of how many students want to live in residence halls by mid-June, when most housing applications have been returned, Spencer said.
"Parents can be assured their kids will have a place to stay,"' he said
Contact MARYANNE GEORGE at 734-665-5600 or mageorge@freepress.com.
Copyright © 2004 Detroit Free Press Inc.
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