DRC NT raises auto admission std.

OldTimer · May 24, 2003

UNT raises automatic admission standard

Acceptance now given to students who graduated in top 10 percent of class

05/24/2003

By Matthew Zabel / Staff Writer

Students who want to attend the University of North Texas will have to meet tougher admissions standards next fall.

The new standard, which the university’s Board of Regents approved Thursday, allows for the automatic admission of students who graduated in the top 10 percent of their high school classes, a policy that larger schools have already adopted.

UNT had been one of 18 Texas public colleges that admitted students who finished in the top quarter of their high school classes, no matter how well they scored on the SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test) or the ACT Assessment.

"I think it will increase the reputation of the university, and make the degree more valuable for our students," said Dr. Jeffrey Oxford, president of the UNT Faculty Senate, which proposed the change.

Some faculty members said private money, not tougher standards, would improve UNT’s reputation.

"We need an endowment so big that we have a name on every door and every building," said Dr. P.R. Chandrasekaran, a UNT professor of finance, who is known as Dr. Chandy. "You’ve got to sell this place like you’re selling a Coca-Cola or a hamburger."

Then UNT can attract the best faculty members in the country, and thus produce the best students, he said.

Some students said the stricter policy might look good for building the university’s reputation, but it might prevent students who want to attend UNT from doing so.

"Most students who graduate in the top 10 percent of their class would not choose UNT in the first place," said freshman Olaniyi Agoi. "This leaves a vacuum for those who want to go to UNT, and might not be able to get in."

But UNT junior Brooke Wilson said the tougher policy has an upside, too.

"If we’re going to compete with bigger schools, we need to have policies like that," she said. "They’re bigger, and their tougher policies don’t seem be keeping people from applying there."

Dr. Joneel Harris, UNT’s associate vice president for enrollment management, said she doesn’t expect the new policy to cause a decrease in admission. It should improve the retention rate, she said.

Under the current policy, students who finish in the top 25 percent of their high school classes are guaranteed admission, regardless of their standardized test scores. Other students are admitted based on an individual review process. But any students who scored below 950 on the SAT or 20 on the ACT must take a study skills course, Dr. Harris said.

The new policy allows for the automatic admission of students in the top 10 percent of their high school classes. Students who finish in the next 15 percent of their high school class must earn a 950 on the SAT or a 20 on the ACT for automatic admission. If their test scores are too low, they can still be individually reviewed for admission, and they still must take the study skills course.

Dr. Harris said UNT offers several avenues of help for students who need it.

Some studies showed that students who were admitted through an individual review and who took advantage of those help services, like the study skills class, were more likely to stay in school, she said.

"This change will allow us to stress to students that they might be weaker in their test scores, but we have confidence they can succeed if they make themselves available to the resources we have for them," Dr. Harris said.

MATTHEW ZABEL can be reached at 940-566-6884.

State university admission standards

Texas law requires state universities to admit any student who finishes in the top 10 percent of his or her high school class. Here is what some schools require for students who are not in the top 10 percent of their class to gain automatic admission:

University of North Texas

* top quarter of the class: 950 combined SAT score or 20 ACT score

* second quarter: 1050 SAT score or 23 ACT score

* third quarter: 1180 SAT score or 26 ACT score

* fourth quarter: by review only

Texas Woman’s University

* top quarter of class: automatic

* second quarter: 950 SAT score or 20 ACT score

* third quarter: by review only

* fourth quarter: by review only

SOURCE: Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board

Texas A&M University