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USF Will Again Reject Majority Of Applicants

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By LINDSAY PETERSON

lpeterson@tampatrib.com

Published: March 30, 2009

TAMPA - For the second year in a row, more than half of the students applying to the University of South Florida will be rejected.

Applications reached roughly 28,350, about 2,500 above last year, but enrollment caps haven't changed.

Last year, USF offered admission to 11,500 students, just 45 percent of those who applied. By contrast, in 2003 USF accepted nearly 70 percent of applicants.

With the high number of applications comes a high level of scrutiny, said Leellen Brigman, USF vice president for enrollment planning.

"We're very sensitive to demand and looking at students in more detail than ever before. We're looking at high school GPA and test scores and the rigor of their core curriculum," she said.

"We want to ensure that the students we admit have the greatest chances of passing in a timely fashion."

Last year's freshman class at USF was the most accomplished ever - 60 percent had an A-minus grade average. And it's expected to be the same this year.

Generally, less than half the students who are admitted end up enrolling. For the summer and fall terms, USF undergraduate admissions director Bob Spatig expects to bring in about 4,200 freshmen at the Tampa campus and 400 at USF St. Petersburg.

The deadline for freshmen applications at USF is April 15.

Last year, the state university system's Board of Governors ordered its schools to cap and, in some cases, cut enrollment to deal with the effects of millions of dollars in budget cuts. Since then, tax revenue has continued to drop, bringing fears of more cuts.

The university tries to find options for the students who are turned away, Brigman said. It has a strong partnership with the state community colleges to help students with two-year degrees transfer their credits to USF.

"When a student is not able to get in, we recommend that they consider community college," she said. Its research shows that students with associate degrees perform as well as students who started at USF as freshmen.

Hillsborough Community College spokesman Ashley Carl said HCC has felt the pinch at USF. Students arrived last year saying they'd been referred by USF, she said. "Some were driving directly from USF to HCC."

HCC's enrollment is up about 18 percent over last year, but only part of that increase is because of USF's tightening standards, Carl said. Thousands of applications are coming from people who need more education or training to find a new job.

Reporter Lindsay Peterson can be reached at (813) 259-7834.

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