Could anyone actually explain the requirements for early or any enrollment at UM?
This is really WTF in the sense that there is so much waiting on random criteria to pass/fail. Maybe he is in, oh, now he is not, wait a sec, he is definitely in, no...
Isn't there a checklist where you do/do not have a certain ACT/SAT score and do/do not have a certain number of credits with a particular grade point? Shouldn't this be more black and white? Is the NCAA or our own admissions that complicated? If it is, I am stunned at the enormous waste of money and time that goes into this. I would hope that we could pay a service that managed this for us, put it in the athletic budget.
Well, I guess it is the NCAA so I should just expect something backwards and arcane.
January 6th, 2010 at 9:48 AM ^
I would think the only requirements would be a qualifying ACT/SAT, GPA and a high school diploma.
January 6th, 2010 at 11:17 AM ^
You also need to have taken a certain number of "core" academic courses and have received a sufficient GPA in them.
January 6th, 2010 at 9:56 AM ^
1- graduation from high school (can be complicated wrt semester schedules, qualifying classes, etc)
2- ncaa clearinghouse (mathematic, but time consuming)
3- u-m admissions (largely subjective and responsive to pressure/influence)
January 6th, 2010 at 10:08 AM ^
Heh, it's funny you mention #3...........
January 6th, 2010 at 10:00 AM ^
A high school diploma with qualifying ACT/SAT and GPA is all you need. It's not really that complicated.
In Witty's case however, we are probably waiting on his official transcript from his JUCO to make it over. Some are much better than others about processing transcripts in a timely manner.
January 6th, 2010 at 10:18 AM ^
is likely not going to be admitted despite the fact that he already qualify to play at Michigan. The admission were scared to admit players that has been flagged because of Freep. The irony is the very same people admitted Slocum and Germany(though he never was eligible).
January 6th, 2010 at 10:41 AM ^
Just out of curiosity, where are you getting your information?
The fact is that nobody can be allowed admission without having the proper supporting paperwork. In Witty's case, since he's already at JUCO, it means his transcript. As long as he took the right classes and has a qualifying GPA, he should be good to go.
IMO, the reason he might not get in again probably revolves around taking classes that don't count towards admission to boost GPA. Think of it as elective gym class in high school. Sure, you can get an A, but it won't count towards your overall GPA for Undergrad Admissions
As for the "same people" admitting Slocum and Germany (along with others), turnover in OUA has been over 100% in the last 4 years. Unless you're trying to imply that the same office is handling admissions, which should be self evident.
January 6th, 2010 at 2:10 PM ^
did not go to JUCO. Pretty sure that he went to prep school.
Yes, I implied that the same office handled the admission of Slocum and Germany. If LC was the coach, Witty would have been in easily.
January 6th, 2010 at 3:52 PM ^
Thanks for informing me that undergrad admissions handled Witty's admission. The only scandal would be if they didn't handle his admission.
You still haven't told me how you know that the admissions department is running scared because of the Freep allegations. Slocum and Germany were borderline in academics, but more than a few of RR's recruits have also fallen in that category as well.
January 6th, 2010 at 10:02 AM ^
It's 90% the high school graduation thing from what I've heard. High schools with top flight football programs are used to kids leaving early and are more set up to handle it, high schools not used to being a direct pipeline to college often can be problems. Some drag their feet on paperwork and others start whining about "Best interest of the student."
At my my HS we had two kids leave early for football. One went to Notre Dame, had no problems getting his dipolma, etc. The other was going to Maryland and had all kinds of problems and barely made it. Our principal was a ND alum. Go figure.
January 6th, 2010 at 10:11 AM ^
Be really really good at football.
January 6th, 2010 at 10:17 AM ^
Are always interesting, but follow the same logic....
If kid is academically acceptable to UM's standards (3.7 plus gpa, 28 plus ACT-think middle 50 percentile is 3.8-4.0, 28-31 ACT), the kid gets in really without a whole lot of debate. Though, they do a "holistic" review of the applicant and look at activities, strength of academic schedule, etc in making their decision.
If the kid does not meet the standards, regardless of athletic ability, the University will do a review of the applicant, normally through a committee of academic staff, college (LSA, Engin, Kin. whichever school the kid is applying to), profs, admissions folks, etc and they will collectively make a decision.
My guess is that the kid (Witty) is very marginal and the non-admission folks are probably not very sympathetic to his admissions.
And, honestly, its a rough situation because we are only focused on what he means to the team, potentially. Ideally, these people are focused on whether the kid has the ability to eventually graduate from the University. And with Black graduation numbers horribly low, especially amongst athletes, there has to be some accountability there.
January 6th, 2010 at 10:57 AM ^
a HS kid can be no better projected to eventually graduate college in Dec vs the summer of the same year. Corporations, banks or best fund managers cannot project 4 years accurately, nor do they ever suggest they can, not sure why we feel this "science" requires undue hand wringing. You hit a minimum or you do not, these things should be able to be answered with certainty after a short amount of time unless you are waiting for a grade to come in from winter semester/semesters extend through the holidays and you are an early enroller. It seems crazy, can't imagine what the kids go through.
January 6th, 2010 at 11:26 AM ^
Say you have two kids vying for that last spot in the class. Say they have the same GPA from high schools that are roughly equivalent in academic rigor, and have managed to take the same number of AP/IB or honors courses. Now say they have equivalant ACT/SAT scores.
Now, say Kid A was a two sport athlete and team captain. However, Kid B comes from a lower income family and has to work 20 hours a week to help support his family, meaning he can't do sports. Kid A's parents got divorced his Junior year of HS, which could explain a slight drop in his grades. Kid B volunteers as a student tutor for other low income kids. Pick one.
And so on and so on. Sometimes decisions aren't so easy to make. Should you go with the 4.0 valedictorian from a northern Michigan school with a graduating class of 25 and no AP courses who has an ACT of 27, or the kid from Cranbrook with a 3.8 and an ACT of 32? If a kid has taken 3 out of 3 AP courses his school offers, but got B's in all of them, is he going to challenge himself more than the kid who took 3 out of 18 AP courses that his high school offers but got B+'s?
Admissions is a tough process man. They don't get paid nearly enough to do the work they do in the time frame they're asked to do it.
January 6th, 2010 at 10:33 AM ^
Looks like contrary to what was posted yesterday (http://mgoblog.com/mgoboard/sam-webb-and-ira-update-early-enrollments-m…), Gardner may still enroll early. http://www.annarbor.com/sports/quarterback-devin-gardner-still-hoping-t…
I know classes start today, but does anyone know when he would actually have to be enrolled by?
January 6th, 2010 at 10:39 AM ^
January 26th is the last official day to drop or add classes. Some classes require attendance the first week to guarantee a seat in the class, but I am guessing he could find 12 credits of courses that do not have that policy, but would require him to do some catching up.
January 6th, 2010 at 11:12 AM ^
I assume he is already "admitted" to UM. He has to satisfy his HS graduation requirements. I don't think it is all that complicated - graduating in December is just not the norm for high school students and they have to make sure everything is in and done. Graduating or nor graduating HS early is no reflection on someone's qualification for admission to a college. If they can finish earlier they can start college earlier.
Doesn't seem surprising that the decision would come down to the last minute.
January 6th, 2010 at 12:56 PM ^
it must be done by Friday. I don't think there would be a problem with getting classes it is getting through admissions and the NCAA clearinghouse.
January 6th, 2010 at 11:26 AM ^
Isn't there a checklist where you do/do not have a certain ACT/SAT score and do/do not have a certain number of credits with a particular grade point? Shouldn't this be more black and white? Is the NCAA or our own admissions that complicated? If it is, I am stunned at the enormous waste of money and time that goes into this.
Have you noticed that we don't have many athletes flunk out of school, even though their academic profiles are generally considerably worse than that of the entire student body? Maybe our admissions people are doing something right. Anyway, I'm not sure that adding a few dozen athletes' applications to the already gigantic pile really results in an enormous additional cost.
January 6th, 2010 at 12:18 PM ^
As an aside, it always puzzled how much harder it seemed to get JuCos in than incoming freshman. I know you have to worry about credits transferring and all, but I remember countless stories at other schools of guys that got through NCAA clearinghouse but the schools rejected them bc certain credits didn't transfer as the school did not have a certain major (such as Physical Education, etc.).