Although the count won't be official until September 10, UM-Flint is on pace to have the largest first-time freshman class in school history. With 890 freshmen, the class is 42 percent larger than last year.
"The record surge forecasted at UM-Flint this fall doesn't surprise many people on campus. Many say the numbers prove that downtown student housing has polished UM-Flint's image and lured a whole new population of potential students," writes Beata Mostafavi in The Flint Journal.
"'More people are looking at this school now. My friends want to come here now,' said freshman Tiffany Hudson, 17, of Detroit and who lives in an on-campus suite. 'I always wanted to go to UM but Ann Arbor was too big.
"'I didn't want to stay in apartments ... and these dorms are nice.'"
