Some students who cannot make it into the University this fall because of rising admissions standards have found a way to dodge them — enrolling in the summer.
Students entering the University this fall must have a 3.0 grade point average and an ACT score of 22 — an increase from last year’s requirements: a 2.8 GPA and a 20 on the ACT. But the new standards will not take effect until fall, so students who do not meet them can still enter the University during the summer under the prior standards, said Karen Denby, dean of enrollment management.
Once a student is admitted for the summer, he does not have to reapply under the heightened standards for the fall, Denby said.
The number of students who applied for the summer has increased 154.1 percent from last summer to this summer, according to Office of Budgeting and Planning figures. For the summer 2005 session, 874 students applied. Only 344 applied for summer 2004.
“Every year, the summer before they raise standards, [applications] go up the preceding summer.” Denby said. “We plan for it.”
Phyllis Brunt, a senior at Baton Rouge High, said she applied to the University for the fall semester and was not accepted.
She said the admissions office sent her an e-mail informing her she had not met admission standards but could apply and be accepted for the summer semester.
Brunt said she is taking advantage of the opportunity and will attend this summer so she can also attend in the fall.
Denby said the increase in summer enrollment and decrease in fall enrollment offset each other.
The number of students who have applied for the summer increased by 530, and the number of students who applied for the fall decreased by 1,039.
So far this year, 9,697 students have applied for the fall. Last year at this time, 10,736 students had applied — a decrease of 9.7 percent.
Denby said that the decrease could be because last year’s freshman class was bigger than usual — possibly because LSU had a national championship football team, she added.
Of the 9,697 students who have applied, 7,029 have been accepted and 961 have been denied. The others are still being considered. This year’s denial rate increased 221.4 percent from last year.
Officials are also hoping this year there will be a higher yield rate on the number of students who are accepted and actually attend the University.
In past years the yield rate has been 63 to 65 percent.
This week the University is hosting Spring Invitational — formerly called Spring Testing — a program that brings high school seniors who scored well on standardized tests to campus to test for college credit and create their schedules for next year.
Bonnie Alford, director of orientation, said there are 1,255 high school students on campus for Spring Invitational this year compared with 1,700 who came last year.
She said the decrease in participants is due to the increase in attendance standards for Spring Invitational, from a 25 to a 27 on the ACT.