The University of Michigan saw continued growth in the number of prospective first-year and transfer students looking to enroll for the fall 2023 term.
There were 87,766 first-year students applying for fall admission this year, up 4% from the nearly 85,000 applications to the university for 2022. Applications were received before the early-action deadline Nov. 1 and the regular deadline Feb. 1.
“Students and families around the globe recognize the transformative educational experience and distinct value of the University of Michigan,” said Adele C. Brumfield, vice provost for enrollment management.
“Our excellent faculty, tremendous campus resources and facilities, and diverse campus community are a few of the many reasons why interest in the university continues to grow.”
The overall increase included upticks in applications from first-generation students (11%), in-state (3%), out-of-state domestic (6%) and students of color (11%). In alignment with national trends, the university saw a decrease in applications from students from low-income backgrounds and international applicants.
The admissions office also saw nearly 6,000 transfer-student applicants, up 8% from last year. Transfer applications increased in several categories, including in-state (13%), out-of-state (14%), first-generation (18%), students from low-income backgrounds (4%) and students of color (16%).
This recruitment season saw a significant return to in-person programming, while the team also continued to maintain virtual options to reach students around the globe.
“Our goal is to reach a broadly diverse group of high-achieving students by sharing information about the depth and breadth of academic and campus engagement experiences available at the University of Michigan while demonstrating the impact a U-M degree can have on their future success,” said Erica L. Sanders, assistant vice provost and executive director of undergraduate admissions.
The majority of application decisions for first-year students have been released, with some continuing into mid-April. Transfer-student decisions also will be released by mid-April. Students offered admission to U-M have until May 1 to accept. That is the national undergraduate reply date.
Admitted students receive their financial aid package within two weeks of their decision notification, if they submitted a Free Application for Federal Student Aid form and College Scholarship Service profile.
“The university has made a strong commitment to keeping college affordable, especially for our in-state students, and we want to be sure that students have a full picture of the financial support available to them when making a decision,” said Tammie L. Durham Luis, assistant vice provost of enrollment management and executive director of financial aid.
‘This year, we implemented a new technology and software that has streamlined communication around the financial aid notice and made it more engaging and dynamic. The aid notices have a modern appearance and include dynamic help text, embedded videos, and links to the next steps and additional information.”
The admissions team is hosting yield programming for admitted students on campus, throughout the state of Michigan and around the country that focuses on the admitted students and encourages them to accept their offer of admission.
Local programming includes Admitted Student Receptions hosted throughout the state, and Campus Days hosted on campus through April 24. Fee waivers and travel vouchers are provided to help students from low-income backgrounds travel to campus for these events.
“This is an exciting time as the admissions team and colleagues across campus collaborate to engage admitted students and their families to showcase the wide variety of academic and social opportunities that are a part of the Michigan experience as we eagerly wait while first-year students make their enrollment decisions prior to May 1,” Sanders said.
