Common App Leads to Uncommon Results

Each fall top students across the nation wait anxiously for results of their college admission applications during the early decision cycle in the fall. Historically, the bulk of our top students received acceptances during this period. While many of our students did receive acceptances to their first choice schools this year, many other students received deferral letters. The deferrals are not denials - they delay the decision on the application until the early spring. This has caused some understandable consternation among some of our highest performing students and their parents, so we set out to learn more about this process.

The higher than usual number of deferrals first came to our attention with students who applied for early decision to the University of Michigan. Traditionally, North sends anywhere from two to three dozen graduates a year to Michigan - one of the top schools in the country. This year we had many acceptances, but far more than the normal number of deferrals. We had students with grade point averages over 4.0, ACT scores of 30 and above, and comprehensive leadership and service backgrounds who were deferred by Michigan. For the first time in my 24 years as a teacher and administrator, I contacted an admissions office.

We were told by Michigan that the reason for the deferrals is that Michigan has received an incredibly high number of early decision applications now that it is one of the schools across the country that accepts the "common app". The "common app" is a common application that students can fill out one time and use for multiple universities. The convenience of this process vs. filling out elaborate apps for each university has led to higher numbers of applications. Michigan received 20,000 applications for early decision, and expects another 20,000 throughout the regular admissions cycle. 40,000 applicants for approx. 6000 undergraduate spots - very competitive. As a result of the high number of apps, Michigan has been very conservative in their early admissions cycle.

In speaking with other schools across the state and nation, this circumstance is not unique to North or Michigan. Every school has seen the impact of more universities using the common app. The New York Times recently published an article detailing the national story of a more heterogeneous early admission class, and decreased numbers of early admission decisions for students at top high schools : http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/14/education/early-admission-applications-rise-as-do-rejections.html.

We anticipate that most of our students in this dilemma will receive acceptance letters in the spring after 7th semester grades are in, but in the meantime, some of them are considering other options. I expressed to the University of Michigan our concern that at a time when the state is struggling economically, the flagship university of our state is risking losing some of the best and brightest students in Michigan to other universities, including out of state universities. Several of our top students are now considering leaving Michigan for schools that accepted them during the early admission process.

The competitive nature of the early decision period only serves to highlight the importance of students taking the most rigorous courses we have to offer, and the importance of a commitment to excellence in those courses. It is also a reminder that as our world becomes smaller, more and more international students have access to resources that put them in competition with our students. As much as people want to compare our results with our sister school of Grosse Pointe South or other schools in Michigan, the truth is that our students are in global competition. Both our school and our students must recognize that fact and continue to raise the standards for excellence that have always separated North from other schools. For more on this story see Bridge Magazine's recent article at

http://bridgemi.com/2012/01/common-app-hits-star-student-with-uncommon-adversity/#.TxWABZj5GYc