Record Applicants to UM = Frazzled Alum/Parent/MGoBlogger
As an alum (and married to an alum) parent of a current 12th grader, I've been working quite hard to manage my stress regarding the wait to hear from Michigan.
Well, the stress-control dam just broke wide open. Alumni parents of applicants for Fall 2019 just received an email from the University. The tl;dr version is that a record number of Early Action applications were received. As a result, a "decision may not reach your student until spring."
Ugh! Someone, please hold me.
December 12th, 2018 at 1:42 AM ^
Landlords are straight up parasites.
December 12th, 2018 at 9:50 AM ^
https://legaldictionary.net/price-gouging/
Definition of Price Gouging
Noun
- The practice of raising prices on certain types of goods and services to an unfair level, especially during a state of emergency.
It's not that they charge rent, it's the ridiculous prices they charge. I think these parents would be better off financially buying their kid a car and an apartment in a neighboring town, and telling Ann Arbor landlords to get bent.
December 11th, 2018 at 11:47 PM ^
There was a rental company in A2 when I went to school there in the early 1990's called Prime Student Housing. We used to call it Slime Student Hosing because their properties were shit and they charged top dollar for their zero upkeep ghetto apartments.
December 12th, 2018 at 6:51 AM ^
Lol they were still there when I was in school in the mid 2010s. All the property management companies were shit. Oxford, CMB, Cabrio, you name it
December 12th, 2018 at 9:51 AM ^
A vast majority of students are very rough on the houses in which they live and simultaneously expect landlords to keep them in tip top shape. I don't see why any landlord would constantly fix it up when it's going to get trashed right when they're done.
December 12th, 2018 at 4:42 PM ^
I'm pretty sure there was no real risk of the university not receiving enough applicants to fill this year's class, so I don't know how this makes a difference for you (other than that the students filling your rentals will have marginally higher ACT scores).
December 11th, 2018 at 6:04 PM ^
Looks like it's University of Illinois!
December 11th, 2018 at 7:21 PM ^
If you look closely, you'll see Mike Damone heading upstairs at Joel's party with 2 "friends."
December 11th, 2018 at 7:50 PM ^
Sometimes, you gotta say: "What the fuck". Make your move...
December 11th, 2018 at 6:09 PM ^
?
Best wishes, and if not accepted, there is no shame in transferring in from another school. My best friend did this and he achieved his dream. He embodies what it means to be a Michigan man. So, I am hoping for the best for you, yet the goal can be achieved even if things don’t work out well the first time through.
Go blue!
December 11th, 2018 at 6:11 PM ^
Couldn't your child knock out some english and history at WCC and apply for winter semester as a transfer. The key is to make As at WCC. I know that sounds not fun, but if UM is where your heart is set, what is a semester at a lower cost to get into the school you want.
December 11th, 2018 at 6:17 PM ^
....or UofM Dearborn.
December 11th, 2018 at 6:23 PM ^
Tru Dat, I didn’t go to Michigan until 7 years after HS graduation, 4 years in Army, Associates Degree from Community College, Married, 1-2 kids, then finally part time then full time at U of M. (With NO student loan debt, thank you GI Bill)
Its not always the destination, its the journey.
if they don’t get accepted and end up somewhere else, they didn’t want in that badly. If you want it bad enough, you’ll find a way to make it happen, even if takes time and detours along the way.
December 11th, 2018 at 8:37 PM ^
It strikes me that this was very much about the destination.
December 12th, 2018 at 9:50 AM ^
Reading his post, I thought the exact same thing. Imaginary bonus upvote to you!
December 12th, 2018 at 11:21 AM ^
This strikes me as risky and not necessarily worth it. People often suggest this when they are unfamiliar with community colleges themselves or otherwise are community college alumni who needed the extra time to become ready for a traditional 4-year college.
However, the one person I know who attempted this who otherwise had the grades to get into other similar colleges to Michigan ended up feeling dejected in an environment that is nowhere near as rigorous as I think they expected. It took her three years instead of one to transfer, she still didn't get into Michigan even with very good grades and ended going to a college she'd already gotten into slightly behind schedule.
December 11th, 2018 at 6:15 PM ^
Went through the same situation two years ago. Daughter applied early so that she could hear "the good news" before Christmas. Well she heard and it was as you said, lots of early applicants who were very qualified. She was told she'd hear back from them by Spring. It was tough for her, but lo and behold, she heard from admissions in late January with good news.
Upshot - be patient. Second wave of admissions usually comes out at the end of January.
Good luck and Go Blue!
December 11th, 2018 at 6:20 PM ^
Younger brother got denied from Michigan (despite a 34 on his ACT and a top 10 class rank) and ended up at State. He's a freshman there now and is... doing great! I know it might suck in the moment, but where you go to college isn't the end of the world and I promise they'll be okay no matter what.
December 11th, 2018 at 6:39 PM ^
If you can't get in with a 34 ACT and a top 10 class rank, who the f*** gets in?
December 11th, 2018 at 7:13 PM ^
Out of state and out of country cash plays a major role.
December 11th, 2018 at 8:46 PM ^
The out of state admissions rate is like 18% and in state is like 40%. It’s a lot easier to get in in state. What you need is a diverse application that isn’t based solely on gpa and standardized test score
December 11th, 2018 at 9:04 PM ^
I think it can be hard on parents as it is definitely a lot harder to get in nowadays then it was back in the 1980s when my wife and I got in. Our son had a fairly good set of diverse experiences in high school coupled with a 32 ACT and Top 4 in high school GPA rank but didn’t make it in to Michigan’s Engineering School. It worked out though as he is on track to graduate Purdue next year. It was just more expensive for Mom and Dad.......
December 11th, 2018 at 9:58 PM ^
This. Find something your passionate/interested in and really develop that, no matter what it is. That will set your application apart and make you “one of a kind.”
December 11th, 2018 at 7:16 PM ^
Something I've learned from med school apps a few years ago (and by that extension college apps), even if you think you have the stats and the fit for a school, you might not get in. Some of it just comes down to luck. Sometimes you win the coin flip, sometimes you don't.
December 13th, 2018 at 9:39 PM ^
My son had a lower ACT and a 4.08 gpa (30th in his class), played hockey for 10 years (including 4 years high school), was part of the school musicals and choirs. I firmly believe he was accepted, not only for his grades, diversity, and school participation, but also because I have had season football tickets for 28 years when he applied, and threw in $100-$200 to the football team every 3-4 years. The season tickets I believe pushed him over the borderline. He now has a Math Economics degree from U of M. Cousins, aunts, and uncles being accepted did not hurt either.
December 11th, 2018 at 6:27 PM ^
I live out of state, my kids aren't going to Michigan without big time scholarships.
December 11th, 2018 at 7:46 PM ^
What about if they're preferred walk-ons?
December 13th, 2018 at 9:49 PM ^
Good Luck with that!!!
They don't give scholarships unless you are under a low income level.
Those of us over $100k income, mortgages, car payments, credit card debt, student loans, etc... get a tuition and rent bill two weeks before the semester starts.
December 11th, 2018 at 6:31 PM ^
My younger brother is going through the process and I'm also stressed. But he's so set on UM that he's going to go to a school like Oakland or Wayne St for a year and transfer to UM if he doesn't get in right out of high school. It's a viable option and a lot easier to get into than the high school process. Many of my friends at UM did the same.
December 11th, 2018 at 6:32 PM ^
Got the same email. Did it only go to alumni parents?
For your reading pleasure:
”As one of 583,000 proud living alumni of the University of Michigan, you know firsthand the value of a U-M education. Every year, we are fortunate to review tens of thousands of applications from prospective students -- many from enthusiastic alumni families -- who are hoping to attend this university and engage with all that it has to offer.
This year, we have the pleasure of receiving your student’s Early Action application. I imagine that the decision to apply came after hearing about your positive experiences here at U-M, and I thank you for your continued support of our mission to serve the common good through preeminence in creating, communicating, preserving, and applying knowledge, art, and academic values, and in developing leaders and citizens who will challenge the present and enrich the future.
Because of the high volume of applications we receive, we want you to know a decision may not reach your student until spring. While our team is busy giving each application a thoughtful, holistic review, I want to share with you some additional information for alumni families. This list of Frequently Asked Questions addresses our continually increasing competitiveness, our review process, and other issues related to enrollment that you may find helpful.
Additionally, because our transfer pool is growing, there is an opportunity for your student to transfer to Michigan later if they are not initially admitted. We hope you share this option with your student.
Thank you again, and Go Blue!”
December 11th, 2018 at 6:39 PM ^
Hang in there-I went through this in 2014. She was wait listed on the first go-round. A week later she got an acceptance letter. Her graduation this last April was one of the highlights of my life. So, be patient-it’s worth it!
December 12th, 2018 at 12:04 AM ^
Eh, I’m not stressed. He’s already accepted and excited about going to a small private school in state. If he gets accepted he may still not go...now that may kill me.
December 11th, 2018 at 6:40 PM ^
My youngest is there now as a Freshmen. I was shocked at how many of her friends didn't find out until the Spring.
December 11th, 2018 at 6:45 PM ^
Username checks out. What was campus like during the Championship run in basketball?
Good luck!
December 11th, 2018 at 6:47 PM ^
You graduated a year before i was born
December 11th, 2018 at 7:05 PM ^
For most normal people, the main value of a university education is the first two years out of school. After that, it's all about work experience.
Once I was out in the working world for a few years, nobody ever asked about my university education. They want to know what you did on the job.
I love Michigan of course, but it's not the only way to get a good start on those first two years. It's not Michigan or destitution.
When I was a hiring manager, it's not like we only took students from Michigan. We identified a cluster of about a dozen schools that were somewhat similar to Michigan and interviewed from that group.
There is never just one golden path.
December 11th, 2018 at 9:39 PM ^
So, do you think it's possible that limiting yourself to such a small group of individuals was ever detrimental? Certainly there are plenty of equally brilliant and knowledgeable individuals that just didn't happen to have the coin flip go their way when it came to acceptance. Serious question.
December 12th, 2018 at 7:42 PM ^
We focused on that group in terms of proactive recruiting - placement office kind of stuff. It was cost effective based on prior success and our hit-rate of offeree's accepting the job.
But we didn't automatically turn down others. It was just less proactive.
December 12th, 2018 at 12:19 AM ^
Mostly this. First two years, super important. After that all anyone cares about is:
1) Do you have work experience? (internships count)
2) Do you demonstrate acumen?
3) Are you an asshole?
December 11th, 2018 at 7:07 PM ^
My niece was wait-listed by the Michigan dance program and was all set to go to Wisconsin when she was accepted. What a relief. It was pretty late, April I think. After graduation, she formed a part-time professional dance company in Chicago with most of her class.
Anyway, that is simply to tell you, never give up. As you know, it’s worth it.
December 11th, 2018 at 7:08 PM ^
Yeah, we got one of those too. I've heard more will know between 12/19-24. After that, you'll get a rejection or deferral. If not rejected, then it could be April.
December 11th, 2018 at 7:11 PM ^
So, my daughter applied and I did not receive this email. I'm a graduate. Anyone else?
December 11th, 2018 at 7:18 PM ^
Our last name starts with F and friends of ours last name of F got one. Friends who are an L did not. It might just be alphabetical.
December 11th, 2018 at 8:04 PM ^
Somone I know with a name at the end of the alphabet got one
December 12th, 2018 at 7:19 AM ^
My son did Common App. There was a section about the parents- where they went to school, what their email was.... Do you remember seeing it when you reviewed her app? Or ask her if she remembers that. If you did it, I would definitely call. You should have the stupid letter.
December 11th, 2018 at 7:12 PM ^
Apply to OSU. You fill out an application online and get a Congratulations! within 5 seconds.
December 11th, 2018 at 7:35 PM ^
I’m assuming this is satire??
December 11th, 2018 at 8:19 PM ^
Yes. It’s satire.
With that said, it wasn’t too long ago that you didn’t need an ACT or SAT to apply. It’s pretty easy to get in.
Disclaimer: I have family in Cleveland, several of whom went to osu.
December 11th, 2018 at 8:37 PM ^
At my son’s school MSU gave on the spot acceptances at the school if you met with them and shared your grades and scores. Fog glass = acceptance at MSU. This was not a prestigious high school.
December 11th, 2018 at 9:40 PM ^
RedGreene, it's only 3 seconds if you agree to make a car payment for a football player.