I - M - - -4 Flam"Focus The Michigan Daily - Friday, December 1, 1995 - 3 h 3 .. 4 ' ' V i4, dY yS .} }> i s' a. p Lglimpse into the... ro A 1 r I' . Big changes face biggest'U' class By Jonathan Berndt Daily News Editor W hen Jennifer Wlodarski traveled the 1,000 miles to Ann Arbor for the first time in March, all she knew was that she wanted a lot of variety when she got to college. Little did the Orono, Maine, native know, she would be one of four students from her home state in the largest incoming class in the University's history. "I really like the campus," she said. "Anywhere I'd go would be bigger." Compared to her high school of 400 and Ornono - home to the University of Maine but only about 10,000 people - a school of 35,000 students might seem daunting. "It's the biggest freshman class we've ever had," said Marilyn Knepp, director of the Office of Academic Planning and Analysis. "Other than that, I think it looks to be a fairly typical profile." Wlodarski, who lives in East Quad as part of the Residential College, said, "I didn't find it that hard (to adjust)." Brain Scan It may be the biggest class in University history, but what are they all doing here? Below is where they enrolled, who they are and how they did in high school. As a group, of course. r _ } Y v y I ;.l R .. t9 .;5; n .dy ,.. k I } l %: F, 3L .. 'Y' ' K.:-,V C ia ^ . ' / I' _ _ , -- Nursing M SNRE MUsic LSA Kinesiology Z Engineering ( EA rt hack Time4 iza has long been a favorite snack, Sut a Daily survey shows irst-year students only order it bout once a week. - Four or more Three times times a week: a week: 2.9% 7.4% wice a week: None: 16.2% 30.8% Once a week 42.6% Part of the reason for the huge class is the 300extra in-state studentsthe Univer- sity admitted in June. "Those people aren't a lot different from the last 1,000 that were admitted," Knepp said. "We aren't going to admit students who aren't qualified." For the more than 200 who enrolled, the University prepared with a first-year seminar program and additional sections of regular courses. "It seems to have worked," said John Cross, LSA associate dean of budget and finance. "We had fewer problems with students being closed out of classes that they wanted than we have had in the past." Christopher Verry, a Music student from Grand Haven, on the Lake Michigan coast, said he's had no problem with "the size factor." "I like a big environment. I like people," Verry said. "Whether you're in a class of ; ti ,.. Y. '" ' n d t i 5 Tro p RV:iF+:XJiC n. '.....,*..... ,,, k1 F Y. ;} ,, t Y ',. ! *rt ,' White: 3,433 SHispanic: 243 SNative American: 39 Asian American: Oin 587 EDAfrican American: ho 496 Other (Unknown and non-resident alien): 351 Gender Breakdown Ethnic ,w;: . . _. , :, .. r: _. }; . _ Academic -Performance While University students come with an broad array of talents, academic reputati starts with scores in high school. Here's how this year's incoming class fared at th secondary level. 400 or four, you're going to know the information. The only thing that helps is the teacher knows you."' He likes the Music School's smaller classes, which he says are easier to get into., Knepp said her office, which is in charge of statistics used in planning class offerings, is not doing anything special with the extra students. "At the time, they were noteworthy, but now they're just part of the class," Knepp said. "We won't track them specially." Alan Levy, director of public affairs for University Housing, said the large class brought more people into the residence halls - about 200 more than in previous years. Approximately 97 percent ofthe freshman class lives in University Housing, even thought there's no requirement to do so," Levy said. Part of the increase, Levy said, is due to additional spaces for the University's living-learning programs. Detroit native Kourtney Rice said about the only thing she doesn't like so far is her room - an economy double in Stockwell. "The room is really small," Rice said. The classes and campus activities - she's active in Sister, a multicultural group in Stockwell - keep her moving around. SIf anything I've not been holed up in my room," she said. Randy Miller, from Birmingham, Ala., made the long trek to Ann Arbor to study computer engineering. "I'd seen in magazines and other resources that Michigan was ranked pretty respectful in those areas," Miller said. "And it had a better social life" than the other school he was considering, Georgia Tech. "It was overwhelming just how many people you see," Rice said. "Otherwise, it's been what I expected." High School Grade Point Average Below 3.4 3.4-3.59 3.6-3.79 3.8-3.99 4.0+ Composite SAT score Below 100- 100- 1400- 1000 1199 1399 1600 2. Illinois _.-${- Daarota209 5. California.1 126 ~~- \r 1-j 1. New York 334 6 f . Ponnsylvani 110 4. Ohio - x 3. N 150 Wh This yea 8.loridamany fo 74 come frc "TMki Composite ACT score chusetts Z4 14% - lew Jersey 170 '27-32 '33+ L Below 24 '24-27 1 10. Texas L- 50A lo They Compute? got a single first-year student told the Daily 1ey don't use a computer and most say ev use both H3Ms and Macs. ore are They From? er's incoming class has students from all fifty states and reign countries. The map shows how many students om the top ten states and the three states that have only esentative in the class. Study Break O'1Wtn the'gIlihr.arvily' d7isiur..'v'firs~t-vea>'r studehnts one repr m IL WWN