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St. Cloud State University
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SCSU limits admissions
By Drew Sandholm
Published:
Monday, March 24, 2003
Never before has the cliche "timing is everything" meant more. Especially for entering first year and transfer students for fall 2003 admission to SCSU.
SCSU recently changed its admission deadline for the fall academic semester to May 1, instead of the late August deadline normally imposed by the university.
Prospective students applying after May 1 will be placed on a waiting list for admission. Depending upon the number of previously admitted students who decide to attend the university, waiting list students may be admitted accordingly. Officials claim that 50-60 percent of admitted students actually attend SCSU. The rest choose to attend another college or university or decide against a further education by enlisting in the military or entering the working world.
Student opinion on waiting lists is varied, but most of those informed of the new deadline are seemingly reluctant to the new admissions ideals.
"I think it's a disadvantage to those who are on waiting lists," said first-year SCSU aviation major David Vee. "I think that it will limit the amount of quality students that will come here."
University administration altered the deadline for a number of reasons. In dealing with recent budget cuts, according to officials, the SCSU administration didn't want to compromise the availability of its classes for current students nor limit its array of student services.
The earlier deadline will limit the number of first-year and transfer students admitted to SCSU. Fewer students attending the university is to ultimately save the school an undisclosed amount of money.
An earlier deadline comes at a bad time for aspiring Huskies. SCSU has had a major increase in applications. This year there has been a 16 percent increase in first-year student admission applications while transfer admission applications have increased by 12 percent. With more applicants, more students are interested in attending SCSU. The new deadline will limit those who are to be admitted.
High school students who are waiting on senior transcripts or other important admission criteria from their senior year, may now be limited by the May 1st deadline.
"It's a disadvantage for the late bloomers because they can't prove themselves in their senior year of high school," said first-year SCSU mass communications major Tim Plucianski. "If you didn't have decent enough of grades in your first three years (of high school), but then you did very well in your senior year of high school, you wouldn't have time to show that on your transcript because of the earlier deadline."
The main objective of the university is to enroll 2,400 first-year students and 1,300 transfer students for next semester. To achieve that goal, the university says it will admit approximately 4,650 students. Last fall, the enrollment included 2,450 freshmen and 1,284 transfer students. Currently there are 4,001 students admitted.
"I think they (SCSU admissions) should keep the deadline at the end of the summer because if you change your mind or are having difficulties, you'd be placed in a tight spot," said first-year SCSU nursing major Amber Steines. "It's a big decision and you can't rush it."
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