“破纪录的申请人数非吾愿”

　　——密歇根大学录取委员会负责人谈本科的招生录取

　　翻译 啄木鸟教育 何立文

　　出处：The Michigan Times (2010年7月1日)

　　近日，密歇根大学(University of Michigan-Ann Arbor)宣布共收到31,599份新生入学申请，连续第四年创下新高。

　　截止到6月1日，学校已向其中的15,979人发放了录取通知，预计秋季会有6,350人报到入学，比去年高出了300人，创造了密歇根大学新生人数的历史新纪录。

　　密歇根大学本科录取办公室的负责人Erica Sanders，对这一批数目异常庞大的新生可能带来的问题深感忧虑。

　　Sanders说，数目如此空前的2010-2011年度新生实在太不正常了，尽管这表明学校的声望在提高，但学生群体的膨胀并不是本科录取办公室所期望的。

　　“近几年来，密歇根大学的录取竞争一直非常激烈，”Sanders说，“我们寻求创造一个充满活力的学生群体，学校能够从他们身上汲取各种新思想，同时教他们如何去探索不同的学术领域。但如此庞大的群体并非我们的目标。”

　　密歇根大学确认迄今已有6900名被录取学生提交了入学定金，占实际录取总人数的43.2%。考虑到已经交纳定金的学生中会有一部分最终决定放弃密歇根，于是，预期的新生规模降到了目前的6,350人。

　　由于新生人数激增，Sanders表示学校目前正在努力，确保学校到秋季能够容纳所有的学生。她说：“为了让即将入学的新生渡过愉快的一年，学校成立了一个工作小组，从设法让餐厅有能力保障每个人的就餐，到让课程能够满足每名学生的需求，做着方方面面的准备。”

　　Sanders认为整个录取过程的管理是一门科学更是一种艺术，他们在努力为学生和家长消除申请和录取过程中可能出现的任何问题。然而，仍然有一些因素，像经济上的，就不在录取委员们的能力范围内。但关于这方面，校方会竭尽全力帮助家庭减轻支付学费所带来的经济负担。

　　“对家庭关注的问题，学校都有所回应，”她补充道，“像助学金办公室就在为缓解家庭在经济上的顾虑而向学生提供必要的资助。”

　　Sanders还透露，在上个月的会议上，学校的董事会投票通过了州内学生1.5%的学费增长和州外学生学费3%的涨幅。而这次州内学费的增长幅度是26年来董事会通过的最小涨幅。她相信学校选择将学费的增长控制在一个适度的范围内，帮助缓解了那些即将要供孩子读大学的父母的焦虑情绪。

　　Sanders说，密歇根大学不是唯一一所提高备选生源储备的学校。现在越来越多的学生开始申请更多的学校，致使申请的总量在不断增加，为了保证招生人数的稳定，学校不得不采取这样的手段。

　　密歇根还宣布，为了方便那些在未来几年想要申请来校读书的学生，学校将于今年8月1日，即2011-2012学年度申请开始的第一天起，正式启用Common申请系统。Sanders说，虽然加入Common申请系统的决定最终是由录取办公室做出的，这一决定同样得到了学校主管的支持。本科录取办公室的执行理事、密歇根大学代理副校长Ted Spencer表示，是完善整个录取过程的愿望让录取办公室决定加入Common申请系统。

　　“我们一直在想办法做得更好”，Spencer说，“特别是在眼下，经济上颇具挑战的时期，我们在想办法用更少的资源做得更好。我们相信Common申请系统将会为学生、老师和升学顾问简化整个申请过程。同时，能够为录取办公室节省开支。”

原文：Record number of applicants not goal of Admissions, 'U' director of recruitment says

　　By: Devon Thorsby

　　Daily News Editor

　　Published July 1st, 2010

　　In a press release issued last week, the University announced that it received a record number of applications — 31,599 in total — from the incoming freshman class for the fourth consecutive year.

　　With 15,979 of those applicants being offered admission as of Jun. 1, the press release projected that 6,350 students will begin classes as freshmen in the fall, setting an all-time record for freshman class size at the University and topping last year’s enrollment numbers by some 300 students.

　　Erica Sanders, the director of recruitment and operations for the University’s Office of Undergraduate Admissions, weighed in on the implications of an unusually large incoming class for the University community.

　　Sanders said the record number of projected freshman for the 2010-2011 academic year is an anomaly at the school, and while it reveals an increasing level of prestige for the University, the increase in the size of the campus community was not the goal of the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

　　“Admissions have been competitive to the University of Michigan for a number of years,” Sanders said. “We look for a vibrant class of students the University can learn from and teach to explore many different academic opportunities. But large volume isn’t really our goal.”

　　The University confirmed in the press release that 6,900 students out of those who have been accepted have paid their enrollment deposits thus far — a 43.2 percent yield rate of those accepted to the University.

　　With the possibility that some students who have already submitted enrollment deposits will eventually decide not to attend the University, the projected size reaches its current number of 6,350 students.

　　As a result of the increased size in the freshman class, Sanders noted that the University is in the process of making sure all students will be properly accommodated in the fall.

　　“The University has created a working group to make sure incoming students have a good year next year,” she said. “From making sure the dining halls will be able to serve everyone … to the availability of classes.”

　　Sanders said that the management of the admissions process “is more of an art than a science” in working to eliminate any possible problems in the application and enrollment process for prospective students and their families.

　　But Sanders said some factors, like the economy, are out of the hands of admissions officers. For that aspect, Sanders said the University works to ease the financial burden of paying for college.

　　“The University responded to concerns families had,” she said. “The Office of Financial Aid worked to provide individual assistance with planning to ease any financial concerns.”

　　In their meeting last month, the University’s Board of Regents voted to approve a 1.5-percent tuition increase for in-state students and a 3-percent tuition increase for out-of-state students.

　　The in-state tuition increase is the smallest approved by the Board of Regents in 26 years.

　　Sanders said she believes the University’s choice to present a more modest increase in tuition has helped to ease the concerns of those preparing to pay for new students’ educations.

　　The University also announced its official switch to the Common Application for students considering applying to the University in future years.

　　Sanders said while the ultimate decision to switch to the Common Application happened in the Office of Admissions, the decision was also supported by the University’s executives.

　　Ted Spencer, executive director of the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and associate vice provost for the University, said the desire to improve the overall application process led the Office of Admissions to join the Common Application network.

　　"U-M decided to join the Common Application because we are always looking for ways to do better,” Spencer said in the press release. “Especially in these challenging economic times, we are looking for ways to do better with less. We believe the Common App will streamline the application process for students, teachers, and counselors.”

　　Sanders added that while the use of the Common Application could initially save the Office of Admissions money, it is too early to determine if the application network will ultimately be a source of financial savings.

　　“It’s too early to tell,” Sanders said. “Reports from peer schools indicate an increase in applications, and the savings in application vendor may mean additional money spent for processing.”

　　The University’s use of the Common Application network will begin Aug. 1, marking the first day applications for the 2011-2012 school year may be submitted, according to the press release.

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