Class of 2002 applications on the rise

Following a jubilant Rose Bowl victory and controversy surrounding the University's admissions policies, applications for admission to the University are up by nearly 20 percent over last year at this time.

"We're 17 to 20 percent over where we were last year," said Director of Undergraduate Admissions Ted Spencer.

"We're excited that we're up so far this year. I think this year will be comparable to some of our best years even though it's still too early to say."

LSA Dean Edie Goldenberg said she is pleased with the increase in applications, which will help make next fall's entering class even more competitive.

"Increases in applications bring to Michigan the opportunity to select an even stronger student body, and everyone benefits from that," Goldenberg said. "Our students come from all over the world. They are an amazingly talented group of young people who have engaged in a wide variety of curricular studies and extracurricular activities."

Opinions vary on what is causing the jump in applications. The Wolverines' Rose Bowl victory and share of the National Championship title are probably one factor, Spencer said.

"I think athletics has certainly contributed to it, but there are a whole bunch of factors affecting the number of applications," Spencer said. "Any time you can have your name in front of the public in a positive light, it's going to generate interest."

Danielle Wroblewski, a senior at Mercy High School in Farmington Hills, said that she thinks the publicity from the perfect Michigan football season helped the University distinguish itself from other institutions.

"You need to do something to stand out, to differentiate a University," Wroblewski said. "If you were to spend all of your time reading the letters you got from colleges, that would be your life."

Regardless of the University's athletic triumphs, Spencer and Goldenberg contend that the University's growing academic reputation has propelled Ann Arbor to the top of the lists of competitive college-bound students.

"I suspect that the reputation of Michigan as an outstanding university in all respects - in liberal arts education, in professional education, in sports, in research opportunities and so forth - is behind this increase, which is very gratifying," Goldenberg said.

Both administrators said the increase in applications will not result in the type of overcrowding that occurred this past fall, when first-year students were forced to live temporarily in residence hall lounges.

"The Admissions Office is working very hard to ensure that we won't have the type of overcrowding next fall that we experienced this past fall," Goldenberg said. "We are monitoring the situation on a continuing basis."

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