University of Michigan officially welcomes class of 2014 to campus
Michigan senior Peter Preonas performs with Amazin Blue as they entertain students before the convocation ceremony on Thursday.
Melanie Maxwell I AnnArbor.com
Editor's Note: This story was updated to clarify the number of applicants coming from various states.
They heard the names of famous alumni.
They were reminded about the depth and breadth of the academic excellence.
They got a crack at singing “The Yellow and Blue.”
They were challenged to look for opportunities for service.
But most of all, the class of 2014 at the University of Michigan was welcomed to the campus and reminded that they too are now part of Michigan’s tradition of excellence.
More than 5,000 students and parents sweated through an hour-long new student convocation Thursday night at Crisler Arena, listening to speakers ranging from Christopher Armstrong, the president of the Michigan Student Assembly to Mary Sue Coleman, the president of the university.
Michigan sophomore Rushi Surati performs with the Michigan Bhangra Team as they entertain students before the convocation ceremony to kick off the new school year at Crisler Arena on Thursday.
Melanie Maxwell I AnnArbor.com
A record 32,000 applicants asked to be part of the class of 2014, said Theodore Spencer, the associate vice provost and executive director of undergraduate admissions. Of those, about 6,000 were accepted to be part of the freshman class.
Of the 32,000 applicants, 22,000 came from out of state. Of the applicants, more than 2,000 came from California, more than 500 from Texas and 30 from “the newest Big Ten state” Nebraska, Spencer said.
The class has an average grade point average of 3.8, with about 13 percent of the incoming class pulling down a perfect 4.0 GPA.
Thirty percent of the incoming freshmen had an ACT composite score of between 31 and 36. A score of 36 on the ACT is considered perfect. Across the nation, 4 percent of those taking the ACT scored between 31 and 36.
Phil Hanlon, U-M’s provost executive vice president for academic affairs, told the new students and many of their parents that they’ll have plenty of opportunities to apply those smarts in the classroom and in various research settings.
But repeatedly, the speakers reminded those in attendance that more was needed than just attending class.
“This place is best for you when it is experienced,” said Ed Rothman, the chair of the Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs and a professor of statistics. “Engagement in learning is no an option.”
Classes start on Tuesday.
David Jesse covers higher education for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at davidjesse@annarbor.com or at 734-623-2534.
Comments
ChunkyPastaSauce
Fri, Sep 3, 2010 : 4:32 p.m.
@ Alex: Actually, by usnew, michigan is not a top ten university - however some of the individual schools that make up the university are top ten school such as the school of law, the school of business, the college of engineering, etc.
Lokalisierung
Fri, Sep 3, 2010 : 1:29 p.m.
"I had no idea Texas even had 500 HS seniors that had the grades to get into a top ten school. That is a nice surprise!" Yes, they don't have the high caliber book leanrin' of the Detroit school systems.
Alex
Fri, Sep 3, 2010 : 1:29 p.m.
@Rasputin - Michigan is not a top ten school. It is a top five public school, but in the most recent USNWR rankings it is number 29 nationally.
Alex
Fri, Sep 3, 2010 : 1:25 p.m.
This article also makes another mistake. The university actually accepted 16,000 people to fill a 6,000 person class. It didn't accept 6,000 people.
MjC
Fri, Sep 3, 2010 : 7:40 a.m.
umichjim - Last fall (2009) over 6,000 students enrolled at the UM and over 4,000 students were Michigan residents. I'd imagine the UM will post the 2010 numbers once classes get underway. I have no problem with the UM's out-of-state student acceptance rate. It's not truly a "State" school if it can't count on the State of Michigan to support education. The drastically reduced state spending on education seems never ending so why shouldn't universities increase revenue by accepting more out-of-state students? It's good financial management. (Sorry - I'm still upset about the State cutting the Michigan Promise Award scholarships.)
David Jesse
Fri, Sep 3, 2010 : 7:24 a.m.
@Umichjim: We've clarified the story that those numbers you referenced were actually number of applicants from a state.
Rasputin
Fri, Sep 3, 2010 : 7:10 a.m.
@ umichjim, it is a real simple equation: Out of state tuition is roughly 3-4 times that of in-state. Most of the incoming freshmen are always from the East and West coasts where the economies and money is. I had no idea Texas even had 500 HS seniors that had the grades to get into a top ten school. That is a nice surprise!
umichjim
Fri, Sep 3, 2010 : 6:41 a.m.
"Of those accepted, more than 2,000 came from California, more than 500 from Texas and 30 from the newest Big Ten state Nebraska, Spencer said. It cannot be right that out of a class of 6,000 freshmen that 2,000 came from California. Even 500 from Texas seems way out of whack. How many came from Michigan - 12? If these numbers are correct, it is outrageous.