University of Cincinnati To Raise The Bar On Admissions Standards

The University of Cincinnati will launch a revised, success-driven evaluation process starting with the 2006 high school graduates seeking admission to the university’s baccalaureate programs. UC President Nancy L. Zimpher announced the minimum admissions standards as part of the forecast for the ambitious UC|21 strategic plan to define the new urban research university. The May 20 announcement came in an update on the UC|21 goal to place students at the center of the university.

UC’s Office of Admissions sent a letter this week to high school guidance counselors around the region that detailed the new minimum admissions standards for baccalaureate programs, starting with the incoming freshman class of 2006. The new standards will not apply to new students admitted to UC this fall. The standards are the first step in a revised admissions process that will be phased in over the next five years.

“The new admissions standards are based on a careful analysis of student performance as measured by academic progress and retention at UC,” explains Thomas Canepa, assistant vice president for UC Admissions. “Second only to financial issues, a student’s readiness for study at the baccalaureate level determines whether that student will succeed in achieving his or her college diploma.”

UC’s programs that already have competitive admissions standards, such as the College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP), the College of Engineering and the College-Conservatory of Music, will retain their admissions standards and will not be affected by the revised admissions process.

For other baccalaureate programs, first-year students entering UC in fall 2006 must meet one of the following criteria:

• Top 10 percent class rank, or
• ACT=22 or higher (1010 SAT, critical reading + math), or
• Top 75 percent class rank and high school GPA 2.5 or higher, and ACT 20 or higher (930 SAT, critical reading = math)

Students who need further preparation may be directed to UC’s Center for Access and Transition, an intensive center of assistance that helps students build the skills they need to enter a baccalaureate college, or they may be directed to the regional campuses. Furthermore, the university is creating an Admissions Review and Appeals Committee that will review each application of a student who has a deficiency in one or more of the revised admissions standards. “As part of the application process, we’re exploring the possibility of a short-answer question and asking the student to list extracurricular activities to help us assist with this assessment,” Canepa explains. “This can be another factor in determining the student’s leadership and motivational skills that can build on college success.”

The baseline admission standards reflect a nationwide trend to reaffirm the importance and practice of liberal education for all students regardless of their major, college affiliation or career aspirations.