▁upgrade ▁and ▁expand ▁the ▁National ▁Science ▁Foundation ▁Network ▁( NS F NET ) ▁back bone ▁from ▁ 5 6 , 0 0 0 ▁to ▁ 1 . 5 ▁million , ▁and ▁later ▁to ▁ 4 5 ▁million ▁bits ▁per ▁second . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁U - M ▁joined ▁with ▁Michigan ▁State ▁University ▁and ▁Wayne ▁State ▁University ▁to ▁create ▁the ▁University ▁Research ▁Cor rid or . ▁This ▁effort ▁was ▁undert aken ▁to ▁highlight ▁the ▁capabilities ▁of ▁the ▁state ' s ▁three ▁leading ▁research ▁institutions ▁and ▁drive ▁the ▁transformation ▁of ▁Michigan ' s ▁economy . ▁The ▁three ▁univers ities ▁are ▁electron ically ▁inter connected ▁via ▁the ▁Michigan ▁L ambda R ail ▁( M i LR , ▁pron ounced ▁' MY - lar '), ▁a ▁high - speed ▁data ▁network ▁providing ▁ 1 0 ▁G bit / s ▁connections ▁between ▁the ▁three ▁university ▁camp uses ▁and ▁other ▁national ▁and ▁international ▁network ▁connection ▁points ▁in ▁Chicago . ▁ ▁Student ▁body ▁ ▁Ad m issions ▁ ▁Ad m issions ▁are ▁highly ▁compet itive , ▁with ▁an ▁admit ▁rate ▁of ▁ 2 2 . 8 %. ▁The ▁university ' s ▁incoming ▁class ▁of ▁ 2 0 1 9 ▁had ▁an ▁average ▁high ▁school ▁G PA ▁of ▁ 3 . 9 . ▁The ▁middle ▁ 5 0 ▁percent ▁of ▁admitted ▁applic ants ▁reported ▁an ▁S AT ▁score ▁of ▁ 1 3 8 0 – 1 5 4 0 ▁and ▁an ▁A CT ▁score ▁of ▁ 3 2 – 3 5 . ▁ ▁In ▁recent ▁years ,