<p>Not neccessarily, it could just mean that a lot more unqualified OOS applicants are applying. Unless UMich mails out free applications to the entire country like Tulane does, its very unlikely that UMich will continue to see wild application increases each year as there simply aren’t that many qualified students around. The switch to the Common Application only boosts application numbers for a few years. I predict that Michigan’s acceptance rate will settle at about 30% by the end of the decade.</p>
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That’s not a UNSWR-specific thing; society in general judges the value of an object or an institution based on how exclusive and difficult to acquire it is. After all, with regards to a university setting, its the students that a college enrolls and eventually graduates that determine the reputation of the school. The more successful they are in the real world, the more esteemed the school becomes.</p>
<p>All in all UMich has managed to stay a top 5 public university and a top 30 university overall, so its clearly doing something right.</p>