CMU receives more applications than ever, but will not enroll a record-breaking class
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Central Michigan University has received more applications at this point in the recruitment cycle than last year, but has admitted fewer students.
Director of Admissions Betty Wagner said accepting fewer students is part of a new strategy for this year's recruitment cycle.
University President George Ross wants to admit 3,750 to 3,850 students for the freshman 2011-12 class, she said, as opposed to the record-breaking 4,173 students last year.
She said this goal will let CMU have the best class possible given surrounding school competition. Also, it will increase the academic profile, retention and diversity of the pool of applicants that ultimately enroll.
“When your goal is to enroll a smaller class, then you have a greater ability to (improve the admitted pool),” she said.
As of Feb. 8, 16,770 high school seniors applied, 10,752 were admitted and 2,405 paid their orientation fee, according to data from the Admissions office. Comparatively, 16,481 applications were received by Feb. 1, 2010, 10,988 were admitted and 1,965 paid their orientation fee.
Wagner said she is confident CMU will admit the desired goal of 3,750 students because it is the third-most applied-to university in the state behind Michigan State University and the University of Michigan.
Gabriel Santi, director of communications of the Office of Admissions at MSU, said more applications have been received for 2011 than 2010 and more students were admitted, but fewer students have paid advanced enrollment deposits.
As of Feb. 15, 26,846 high school seniors applied to MSU, 17,297 were admitted and 4,891 paid their advanced enrollment deposit. Comparatively, 25,517 applications were received by Feb. 15, 2010, 15,151 were admitted and 5,044 paid their advanced enrollment deposit.
He said the numbers are not a cause for concern and he continues to monitor them.
“When all is said and done, our freshman class is hopefully going to be around 7,200 students, and that’s not at all dissimilar from last year’s class,” he said.
A university spokeswoman at U-M said official numbers are not available because deposits are not due until May 1; however, University Provost Philip Hanlon reportedly said U-M had a 20-percent rise in applications this year. U-M's goal is to admit 5,970 students. Last year, U-M freshmen applications were up 5.5 percent with 31,613 submissions.
Calls to Western Michigan University were not returned.
Admission standards
Wagner said universities do not publish their minimum requirements for acceptance, but the mean grade point average of accepted students is a 3.30 and an ACT composite score of 22.
CMU’s admission standards have been in place for the last 20 years and the minimum grade point average standard has been the same for the last 10.
“We are really looking for students with solid ‘B’ work,” she said.
She said acceptance depends on numerous factors, including letters of recommendation, talents and course work difficulty.
Lake Orion freshman Sarah Donetti said CMU's admission standards are low overall, which does not represent the academic quality of the university.
“I do think they should be improved because others have pointed out that many of CMU’s programs and tuition costs are as much as other schools in Michigan that are believed to be of a higher caliber,“ she said. “The costs should reflect the school’s standards by either rising standards with the costs or lowering the cost to come here.”
John K. Hartman, professor of journalism, said updating CMU’s admission standards would benefit the university’s academic profile.
“I recommend that CMU raise admission standards so as to attract a more qualified undergraduate student body as befitting a university that is forming a College of Medicine, that, by definition, mandates higher standards,” he said.
Wagner said CMU has a “holistic” admission standards approach that allows the university to look at everything a proposed student has to offer. The rigor of high school subject matter, any college classes completed, and grade consistency or room for improvement also are factors.
The standards at CMU vary from those of other Michigan universities.
Saginaw Valley State University’s admission standards require a 2.50 GPA and an ACT score of 17. SVSU has a five-year strategy plan that will enhance their admission standards.
“We changed our admission standards last year,” said Jennifer Pahl, director of admissions at SVSU. “We are in the discussion stages to increase it again but there is no confirmed decision.”
MSU’s admission standards have no minimum requirements; applications are accepted on a rolling basis and a student should have a college preparatory curriculum.
“We don’t have a minimum GPA or minimum test score,” Santi said.
