U-M's Next Class Looks Whiter; Why Is Debated U-M's Next Class Looks Whiter; Why Is Debated
Confusion cited on court ruling; form to apply is harder
Detroit Free Press
http://www.freep.com/news/education/um28_20040528.htm
By Maryanne George, Free Press Ann Arbor Bureau
May 28, 2004, Section: Education
The University of Michigan's freshman class this fall will probably have more white students and significantly fewer black students than last year's, figures released Thursday show.
The incoming class is the first to be admitted since the the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the use of admissions points based on race.
Enrollment deposits, the best indicator of who will show up for classes this fall, are down 13 percent for black students and up 8 percent for white students.
The African-American decline in enrollment deposits parallels a decline in applications and admissions for that group.
University of Michigan admissions director Ted Spencer said the decline in minority enrollment may be due in part to confusion over the court decision last year. In the case, justices threw out a system that awarded extra points to under-represented minorities but upheld the use of race to further campus diversity.
Spencer said a tougher admissions process requiring up to four essays also may have discouraged some students.
High school counselors say the drop also is related to the economy. They agree there are misunderstandings about the court ruling.
This year's applications showed a 25-percent drop among African Americans and a 13-percent drop among Hispanics. Native American applications dropped 8 1/2 percent.
White applications were down more than 20 percent.
Despite those numbers, the first-year class this fall could be the largest in U-M's history. That's because more students who were admitted have committed to enrolling.
Curt Levey, a lawyer for the plaintiffs who sued U-M, said, "These numbers appear to indicate a shift from their obsession with racial diversity to broader diversity."
Spencer, however, said a tougher application process requiring multiple essays and more personal information apparently weeded out students who weren't serious applicants.
"We started the process late and it was more involved," he said. "But the quality of the students is as good or better than ever."
Lucille Burkey, a counselor at King High School in Detroit, said she believes fewer of her school's students applied to U-M this year, although she did not have exact figures.
"I don't think interest has changed, but because of the essays there's a little more apprehension," said Burkey, who took a group of juniors to U-M on Wednesday where they attended a writing session and got a copy of the new application. "I think the essays have a deterrent effect."
AtGrosse Pointe South High School, where traditionally many students are interested in U-M, 97 out of 385 seniors applied this year, according to school officials.
Seventy-one were accepted and 47 plan to attend U-M.
Last year, 108 seniors applied, 70 were accepted and about 50 decided to attend.
"I think the 26-pager kind of shied some of them away," counselor Marsha Lynch said, referring to U-M's new application form. "It's also possible that students who are not sure their credentials are up to U-M's standard may be a little less likely to apply," she said.
But for others, the tougher application was not a barrier.
At Mt. Clemens High School, four of 131 seniors applied and were accepted at U-M and three will enroll, said Tom Walker, chairman of the counseling department. Last year, five applied, three were accepted and two enrolled.
"The kids who decided they want to go to U-M seem to be pretty motivated," Walker said. "They'll do anything they need to do."
At Lahser High School in Bloomfield Hills, 35 of the 255 seniors are enrolling at U-M this fall, compared to 57 out of 265 last year, according to Debbie Wagner, college resource coordinator.
Although many more were admitted to U-M, they are going to schools such as Duke University or Dartmouth College.
The new application also 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 receive financial aid.
At Southgate Anderson High School, Principal Michael Kell said less financial aid, rather than a tougher application, has caused students attending U-M to drop from 11 last year to six this year.
U-M said more than 900 students are on a waiting list, but their chances of admission are slim.
U-M hired 51 people and spent $1.8 million to implement the new admissions process.
Other universities
At Michigan State University, a sagging economy and more competitive academic standards have led to a 12.4-percent drop in total applications and a 6.6-percent drop in minority applications, said admissions director Pam Horne.
Applications are down at MSU from 24,900 last year to about 22,000 as of May 25, she said. But enrollment deposits are up 4.7 percent.
"Students who were not going to be admitted self-selected out," she said. "And with the condition of the economy in the state, a number of families are thinking about community colleges or the university in their backyards for the first two years to cut the cost of room and board."
At Ohio State University, where a point system was replaced by a comprehensive review similar to U-M's following the Supreme Court decision, applications have dropped 15 percent overall and about 28 percent for minority students, according to Mabel Freeman, OSU assistant vice president for undergraduate admissions.
A longer application, higher academic standards and the chilling effect of the court decision among minorities accounted for the decline, she said.
Contact MARYANNE GEORGE at 734-665-5600 or mageorge@freepress.com. Staff writers Peggy Walsh-Sarnecki, Teresa Mask and Chastity Pratt contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2004 Detroit Free Press Inc.
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