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News

UH to admit top 20 percent in 2006

GPA overlooked in favor of class ranking in new UH admissions plan

By Portia-Elaine Gant
Senior Staff Writer

The University will skirt the debate about eliminating the law that guarantees admission to the top 10 percent of the state's high school graduates through a new plan that will admit the top 20 percent of graduates.

UH's revised freshman admissions policy, which will be effective in Fall 2006, calls for accepting the top 20 percent regardless of what happens to the state's rule.

Director of Admissions Susanna Finnell said the 10 percent rule is being reconsidered because it presents a problem for The University of Texas and Texas A&M University.

"For (UT), more than 70 percent of their freshman class will be in the top 10 percent, which leaves little opportunity to shape the class in another way," Finnell said. "If you have limited capacity to make that determination, the top 10 percent rule is restrictive. To us, it is not; the top 20 percent is generally very good students."

Part of the reason the 10 percent rule was initially put in place was to increase diversity in admissions after affirmative action was removed from the Texas admissions process.

"If you look at the top 20 percent who would be admitted to the university, that is a good representation of what the state looks like demographically," Finnell said.

Regular admission under the new UH policy will accept the next 30 percent of graduates with a minimum Scholastic Aptitude Test score of 1,000 or an American College Test score of 21.

The University now offers admission on a sliding index that takes SAT and ACT scores as low as 820 and 17, respectively.

In the new system, grade-point averages will be eliminated as an admissions factor, to be replaced with class ranking.

To ensure that the tighter standards don't decrease diversity at UH, incoming freshmen who are not accepted under the first two admissions categories will be considered by individual review.

In those cases, admissions officers will consider the extent and rigor of students' high school curricula, first-generation college attendance, socioeconomic background and family responsibilities, among other factors.

Finnell said she expects half the students admitted to be individually reviewed.

"In the end, we can't accept everybody. We have to make choices, but if you just do it mechanistically, you won't see students who may be successful, and with test scores alone we won't be able to predict that," she said.

Applicants turned down under automatic or regular admission may appeal with a form, a personal statement and two letters of recommendation. A provost-appointed committee will review the appeals.

The new admissions policies are based on recommendations from the Enrollment Management Task Force and reviewed by the Undergraduate Council, Faculty Senate, the provost's office, President Jay Gogue and the UH System Board of Regents.
 

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