Posted on Fri, Sep 2, 2011 : 10:51 a.m.
University of Michigan's freshman class: 19 percent had 4.0 grade point averages
By Kellie Woodhouse
Nineteen percent of the University of Michigan’s incoming freshman class has a perfect 4.0 grade-point average, according to a report from the University Record.
The average freshman GPA is 3.8, the same as the average GPA of the 2010-2011 freshman class, according to U-M’s admissions website.
The 2010-2011 freshmen class had an average ACT composite score between 28 and 32. Read the report.
Kellie Woodhouse covers higher education for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at kelliewoodhouse@annarbor.com or 734-623-4602.
Comments
BhavanaJagat
Sat, Sep 3, 2011 : 4:15 p.m.
THE TASTE OF PUDDING IS IN THE EATING : Kindly give my thanks to the University Record for sharing this information with readers of AnnArbor.Com. I am indeed pleased to hear about these students. I would be happy to hear from them. AnnArbor.Com. provides a public forum where all residents of Ann Arbor could easily join to share their views and participate in a public discussion to interpret the current events and better our understanding of the world in which we live. I cannot really taste the grade point scores. I want to read and experience as to how these young and bright students apply a reasoning process to information shared by a news story. They need to speak and display their brilliance in words they write and in thoughts that they communicate. I would ask University Record to send some comments about this news story and give us the benefit of a taste experience.
mrk
Sat, Sep 3, 2011 : 1:43 a.m.
I am, however, very proud of my alma mater - and certainly do believe that UM attracts great students. The holier-than-thou attitude that comes from many people affiliated with the university is off-putting, though. I didn't realize that it was so obvious and prevalent until I went to grad school slightly to the east.
mrk
Sat, Sep 3, 2011 : 1:39 a.m.
I'm honestly not sure what this means. When I got into UM in 1998, I remember that I graduated my high school with something like a 3.8 GPA (my high school did not give bonus GPA points for honors and AP classes - in my high school someone could take just the bare minimum and get all A's, or take all honors classes and get all A's... and both would have a 4.0). At my orientation, though, my paperwork said I had a 4.0 - it must have been recalculated, and I believe UM awards extra points for some things (maybe AP classes, prestige of the high school district, whatever) and removes others from the calculation (non-academics)... possibly they do it differently now. My point is this, though: this means nothing because we have no idea what ges into the calculation.
Susan Montgomery
Fri, Sep 2, 2011 : 10:16 p.m.
I went to Pioneer and then UM in the mid-80s and have been teaching at UM for 18 years, including many years teaching freshman courses. The incoming classes get better and better every year. I know a number of the Huron High School students who are starting at UM this year, and they are really amazing, hard-working, dedicated, generous students, they would have excelled in the 80s and in fact blown us out of the water... Michigan is doing a great job of attracting these top students, but instead of celebrating that, commenters have to resort to assumptions of parents bullying teachers for grades, or GPA boosts for AP courses (UM uses raw grades to compute incoming students' GPAs...)
Tony Livingston
Mon, Sep 5, 2011 : 10:31 p.m.
You must admit, though that it is a lot more competitive today than when you were in high school. Students take ACT multiple times, students take prep courses and practice tests, students focus more on GPA, students start in middle school to focus on "what colleges want". This leads to higher scores and GPA but the innate intellectual ability may not differ much.
mw
Fri, Sep 2, 2011 : 8:16 p.m.
The Record also reported that 34 percent of the class had an ACT composite score between 31 and 36, while only 4 percent of students nationwide achieved that level. For all the snarking, the ACT is a nationwide test, so grade inflation isn't an issue, and fully 1/3 of incoming freshman are at the 96th percentile nationally. UM is an elite university and has been for a long time. Probably it's getting a little more elite in the economic downturn as people are looking for better deals than private schools offer (I believe Michigan State's averages are up considerably over where they were 10 ago -- probably also for similar bang-for-the-buck reasons).
Tom Whitaker
Fri, Sep 2, 2011 : 6:48 p.m.
So how many freshmen were enrolled this year? (Fall 2011) Last year UM set a record at 6300, but the administration said they were making a concerted effort to reduce that number by about 500 this year. Did they succeed?
West of Main
Fri, Sep 2, 2011 : 6:33 p.m.
I thought Lake Wobegon was in Minnesota, not Michigan.
Wolf's Bane
Fri, Sep 2, 2011 : 4:26 p.m.
A high GPA may point to a student's ability to follow orders, do homework, and meet curriculum objectives as set by their respective high school, but it's far from an accurate indicator to their talent, creativity, or potential. These statistics are a joke.
observer
Fri, Sep 2, 2011 : 4:17 p.m.
My goodness, the University of Michigan is so great........just ask them.......very proud of themselves too.......
Ahmar Iqbal
Fri, Sep 2, 2011 : 4:15 p.m.
Wow seems my high school experience (class of 1987) was pretty plain vanilla. Today's college competition make it seem you need a high school record that is equivalent to a banana split sundae! High GPA, stellar ACT / SAT, unique extra curricular activities and references that you can be the next US President! Talent has no borders in today's world. Premium colleges are able to attract the best and brightest. Plus with access to American high school syllabi and books as well as online SAT / ACT test prepping, the competition today is truly global. Our students really have to compete with the world's brightest.
alan
Fri, Sep 2, 2011 : 4:15 p.m.
Kellie- Please be careful with numbers. You state that "34 percent of the class had an ACT composite score between 31 and 36". You then state that this is an increase above the previous class which had an average composite score between 28 and 32. You are comparing two entirely different things and your conclusion in no way follows. In fact, the 28-32 that you quote is actually the middle 50th percentile for last year's class which implies that 25% had a composite score between 33 and 36. This is probably about the same as this year's class.
smokeblwr
Fri, Sep 2, 2011 : 4:09 p.m.
I don't know about grade inflation or bully parents, but I'm sure the number of AP classes available to top students at top high schools boosts the GPA. An A = 5.0 and a B=4.0 in those classes, so there's that. Back in my day.....
Goober
Fri, Sep 2, 2011 : 9:47 p.m.
For your information, the maximum GPA for any course offered by AAPS (including AP and Accelerated) is 4.0.
bunnyabbot
Fri, Sep 2, 2011 : 3:59 p.m.
I wonder if these kids are part of that new generation where parents bullied teachers into better grades, parents that said that red markers used for grading on tests were too criticle to the children, or the parents that threaten to sue because their child isn't getting enough personal attention at school etc etc. (not saying some of the kids didn't earn it, I am sure a lot of students from overseas who had 4.0 would be an 8.0 to Americans 4.0)
A2Girl63
Fri, Sep 2, 2011 : 3:52 p.m.
Any idea what the average is for the Football Team?
Sallyxyz
Fri, Sep 2, 2011 : 4:29 p.m.
Good idea for an article by AA dot com. Let's see those high school GPA averages....and test scores too, for athletes. Hmmmm. I guess UM has a "special" category for admitting athletes. Probably just like any other Big 10 school.
Wolf's Bane
Fri, Sep 2, 2011 : 4:27 p.m.
0.0000003 in general studies. But, again, who cares?
1bigbud
Fri, Sep 2, 2011 : 3:35 p.m.
That is great Now when they get done with UofM Mc D will hire them after they fill out the forms and will work for Min. Wage
notnecessary
Fri, Sep 2, 2011 : 3:26 p.m.
I graduated from high school within the last decade and personally I don't put too much weight into HS GPAs. I was in the top 5% of my class at Pioneer and it didn't take much effort to achieve that. Its good to hear that U-mich has high recruiting standards still, becaue I'd like my degree to continue to be worth something even if I don't use it for anything that I do...
MAS
Fri, Sep 2, 2011 : 3:07 p.m.
Anyone want to wonder if there was just a bit of grade inflation in high school?
Elaine F. Owsley
Fri, Sep 2, 2011 : 3:02 p.m.
Those who stay will be champions!!