ANN ARBOR—For the sixth consecutive year, the University of Michigan received a record number of applications from prospective freshmen: 42,535 applications for academic year 2012–2013, an increase of 7.5 percent over the previous year’s record of 39,570.

As of the first week of June, 15,523 of the applicants were offered admission to the university’s Ann Arbor campus, and 6,449 had paid the enrollment deposit, a 41.5 percent yield rate (number of students who pay deposits as a percentage of those who are offered admission). Enrollment deposits do not directly correspond to the number of students who enroll in the Fall semester because some students ultimately choose not to attend.

Approximately 6,000 first-year students are expected to enroll by fall term 2012.

These are preliminary numbers; final enrollment figures will be available in October.

“To maximize the educational experience of all our students, we work toward a total undergraduate enrollment of approximately 27,000 students,” said Ted Spencer, associate vice provost and executive director of the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. “We overshot our freshman enrollment target last year, so the 2012 numbers reflect a corresponding adjustment.

“We know with absolute certainty that the incoming class of 2012 is fully prepared to prosper at U-M and to contribute to the university community during their student years,” Spencer said.

Admissions decisions at the University of Michigan are based on the individualized and comprehensive holistic review of the information received about each applicant. As part of its prospective student outreach and its individualized and holistic review of applicants, the Office of Undergraduate Admissions also uses the College Board’s geodemographic tool, called Descriptor PLUS, to identify high school and neighborhood clusters that are not well represented among the U-M student community.