Dan Crosato, a guidance counselor at Crosman Alternative High School in Detroit, said he's not sure why he hasn't seen any admissions recruiters from the University of Michigan at his school this year.

In past years, he said, University of Michigan admissions recruiters came early and often to talk with his students about applying to the University.

Not this year.

"I guess us moving buildings could be a reason," Crosato said. "But then again, I guess we get brochures and applications from them in the mail, so if they know our address, they must know where we are."

Crosato is one of many guidance counselors at Detroit public high schools who claim the University hasn't recruited as aggressively in their schools since last year's passage of Proposal 2, which prohibited public institutions in Michigan from using race- or gender-based affirmative action.

As of Friday, officials at 10 of 17 public high schools in Detroit said they have seen University admissions recruiters less frequently than in the past. There are 29 public high schools in Detroit. Officials at 12 of those schools didn't return calls for comment or refused to comment for this story. Seven reported that recruiters visited their schools at the same rate.

University administrators have repeatedly talked about the importance of strengthening outreach efforts to high schools with high underrepresented minority enrollments, which the Detroit high schools generally have.

After Proposal 2 passed, the University formed the Diversity Blueprints Task Force to come up with ways to maintain and encourage a diverse campus. One of the task force's recommendations was to "expand engagement in targeted partnerships with underserved K-12 schools" and "on-campus high school counselor partnerships."

Julie Deschryver, a guidance counselor at Pershing High School in Detroit, said she's unhappy with the University's admissions recruiters and their lack of engagement with her school. She said about 20 students there have qualifying grades and test scores to attend the University but this is the second straight year she hasn't seen a recruiter from the University.

"We haven't seen anyone here at all," Deschryver said. "The only things we've seen over that time are a brochure and an application to show our students."

University President Mary Sue Coleman said she was unaware that so many high schools in the Detroit area had not been visited by admissions recruiters yet this year.

"That surprises me," she said in an interview last week. "Certainly it's really critical for us to let prospective students know about their opportunities."

Tyrone Winfrey, director of the University's Detroit Admissions Office, said there was no way his staff of four recruiters could have visited each of the Detroit public high schools by this point in the year.

"Sometimes we can't get to schools until November or December," said Winfrey, who said Proposal 2 has not had a direct affect on his office's level of recruitment. "But we try our best to get in to all the schools. My plan each year is to hit every school in Detroit along with all the other urban high schools."

Although there are four recruiters for the Detroit area this year - one more than last year - Winfrey said there have been some rough spots in the recruiting process so far. He said two of the recruiters are new to their positions and that there is still a learning process involved for them. New recruiters, Winfrey said, sometimes have to build relationships in the high schools before they can make visits there. Winfrey said that's why a recruiting visit hasn't been made, for instance, to Pershing High School.

"It's kind of difficult with two new staffers," said Winfrey, who also serves on the Detroit Board of Education. "But if we haven't been to a school yet this year, we will be."

But by not hearing from University admissions officials until later in the year, some Detroit high school students might not be hearing about the different admissions options they have open to them - one of which is new this year.

High school students who applied under the Early Response program - an option that's strongly encouraged for students who say that the University is their first choice - by Oct. 31 were guaranteed to receive an admissions decision from the University no later than Dec. 21.

One high school guidance counselor said she didn't think the majority of her students would know that information, despite the fact that many of them have an overwhelming interest in the University.

Dee Carpenter, a second-year guidance counselor at Detroit City High School, said that aside from college fairs, University admissions officers have not talked with her students.