UGA offers admission to more minority applicants

ATHENS - The 7,825 students who will receive acceptance letters from the University of Georgia this week are more diverse and more academically qualified than their predecessors, officials say.

More than 20 percent of the students offered admission identified themselves as non-Caucasian. The number of black students accepted is up to 570 this year from 418 last year, while 167 are Hispanic, up from 151 last year. Another 262 students identified themselves as multiracial.

About 12,300 students applied to the school this year. Those who were accepted had an average grade point average of nearly 3.8 and an average SAT score of 1268 _ academic records that would have qualified them for the honors program just a few years ago.

The overall applicants had an average GPA of more than 3.5 and an average SAT score of 1218.

"We are excited about the quality and the diversity, but the bad news is there are some very qualified students that we just don't have room to accommodate," said Nancy McDuff, associate vice president for admissions and enrollment management.

Because not all students offered admission choose to enroll at UGA, school officials must estimate the number of students who will enroll, then base admissions decisions on the target enrollment. This year, the goal is a freshman class of 4,600, up 100 students from last year's target.

To stay as close to that goal as possible, about 500 students were placed on an unranked waiting list, and will wait until May to hear whether they will be asked to enroll in the class of 2009.

UGA officials have said they want to increase the number of minority students who apply to and enroll at the university, but race is not considered as a factor in admissions decisions.

Admissions officials first consider an applicant's grades, standardized test scores and the rigor of his or her classes. Academically superior students are admitted on the basis of those factors alone, McDuff said.

Persuading minority candidates to enroll is a priority for the admissions staff and for the Office of Institutional Diversity.

"The continuing challenge is convincing students and their parents that we are a 21st century university," said Keith Parker, associate provost for institutional diversity. "We are working hard to convince them that they should indeed enroll here in the fall."

In the past, McDuff said, about half of the accepted students enrolled. Two years ago, that number jumped to 56 percent, resulting in a larger-than-expected freshman class. About 56 percent are expected to enroll this year, she said.