In the Class

B Students Face Tough Admissions at Florida Universities

2011-08-03T08:55:00.004-04:00

March 17, 2011 | By Scott Travis, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Suddenly, doing above average work in high school may not be enough to get you into Florida's public universities.

Competition is fierce this year, as top students flood state universities with applications. The state's high school graduation rate has soared from 60 percent to 80 percent in the past decade, putting more students into the college admissions pool. With a poor economy, cheap in-state tuition and the abundance of Bright Futures scholarships, many students are opting to stay in Florida for college.

At the same time, universities face cuts in state funding, giving them fewer resources to educate the lesser prepared students. As a result, B students are getting rejection letters from schools they could have easily gotten into a few years ago, such as Florida Atlantic University and the University of North Florida.

"Absolutely, we are turning down qualified students," said Chad Learch, assistant director of admissions at UNF in Jacksonville, where the average GPA was 3.79. "It kills me that we have to do that, but when we set our freshmen targets, we have to live by those."

The selectivity could lead universities to make coursework more rigorous, gain prestige and produce a stronger pool of available workers. But the lack of access for B students could hurt the state's economic recovery, if more parents send their children — and their money — to schools out of state, said Kelly Smallridge, president of the Business Development Board of Palm Beach County.

Some universities, including FAU and Florida International University, are increasing the size of their freshman class, but in many cases, not enough to meet demand.

That forces many students with a 3.0 GPA to either start out at a community college and transfer in two years or attend a more expensive private or out-of-state school. In some cases, they'll be accepted to in-state universities if they have strong SAT or ACT scores, letters of recommendations, a good essay, leadership or other credentials.

The average GPA for entering freshmen this fall at the University of Central Florida was 3.82, up from 3.62 five years ago. It was 3.9 at Florida State University, 3.81 at the University of South Florida and 3.7 at FIU, which are all strong A averages. At the highly competitive University of Florida, the average GPA this year was 4.3, reflecting the extra weight given for advanced classes.

Andrea Thomas, 18, a senior at Boca Raton High School, worried her 3.2 GPA would be too low to get her into a state university. She used a tutor to help her study for the ACT, and got a 25, a strong score that helped offset her GPA. She's been accepted into several state universities and is waiting to hear from FSU. "For Florida State, it's all about test scores and GPA. If one student has one point higher than you, it can make a huge difference. You can lose your spot," she said.

FSU received 35,000 applications this year for 6,000 seats, up 7 percent from last year. "We have a very, very strong applicant pool this year, and this is definitely the best qualified group of applicants we've received, and I've been here 32 years," said John Barnhill, assistant vice president for enrollment management.

FAU is expecting its fall 2011 class to be its most competitive ever. The university has received a record 21,000 applications – twice as many as last year. The school launched an "elite scholars" e-mail marketing campaign this year to lure top students. FAU officials say they expect the average GPAs and test scores to surge. The fall 2010 freshmen entered with average GPAs of 3.3 and SAT scores of 1083.

UCF in Orlando has been growing while also raising admissions standards. With 56,000 students, it's now the second largest university in the country. "We plan to continue accommodating much of our enrollment growth on our regional campuses and also to continue offering more online courses for the convenience of our students," UCF spokesman Chad Binette said.

Many universities say they aren't really turning students down, but are instead delaying their entrance. The state's "2 plus 2" system guarantees access to a public university for any student who receives an associate's of arts degree at a community college.

Community colleges have also started to offer four-year degrees, and changed their names to state colleges, to attract students who might get shut out of state universities. Broward College isn't turning any qualified students away from its teacher education bachelor's degree program and has about 300 students in it now, Dean Aline Sarria said.

Some state universities have decided to grow to meet the demand. FIU had been the most selective public university in Florida in recent years, accepting just a third of students, due to funding and space limitations.

But in December, the Board of Trustees approved a five-year plan to increase enrollment by 2,000 students a year. That will increase the size of the university from 42,000 to 52,000.

"Our president felt we had not been fulfilling our commitment to the South Florida community by not providing sufficient access to all the students who would like to come here and were qualified," FIU provost Douglas Wartzok said.

It's easier for state universities to grow now that they have authority from the Legislature to raise tuition by 15 percent a year, compared to about 5 percent in the past. The extra money helps offset the expenses associated with the new students.

Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers and the University of West Florida in Pensacola also hope to get bigger.

But the options remain limited at many state universities. "Most adults could not get into the schools they went to," said Helene Kessler, a college and career adviser at Boca Raton High School. "It's become that difficult."

What is a Blog?

2010-07-19T10:30:00.003-04:00

Wikipedia defines a blog (a contraction of the term weblog) as a type of website, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order. "Blog" can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog.

Many blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject; others function as more personal online diaries. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, Web pages, and other media related to its topic. The ability for readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of many blogs. Most blogs are primarily textual, although some focus on art (artlog), photographs (photoblog), sketches (sketchblog), videos (vlog), music (MP3 blog), and audio (podcasting). Micro-blogging is another type of blogging, featuring very short posts like Twitter. (From Wikipedia)

Accounting: What's in it for you?

2010-05-19T18:15:00.006-04:00

Why would you WANT to learn accounting? What's in it for you? As your teacher, my goal for you is to find purpose and relevance in my classroom. How will the knowledge gained impact your career, life and your future?

I've asked my students from last year to give you a few words of wisdom about how to make this year successful. A wise person has the desire to learn from the successes and mistakes of others.

Here is the question for my class: I want you to remember those first days you sat in my class. You didn't know what you were getting yourself into did you? Now, think about those new students next year, sitting in your seats, wondering the same things you did. Help them out. With your knowledge of what my class is about, give them a reason to “choose success.” What would you have done differently if you had to do it over again? What’s in it for them? How can they become successful students in accounting?

Costa Rica

2008-08-15T21:28:00.005-04:00

Take a look at my trip to Costa Rica. I bungee jumped off a 265 foot bridge.

You gain strength, courage, and confidence with every experience you look fear in its face. You must do the one thing you think you can not do. -Eleanor Roosevelt

Sorting People

2007-11-20T17:10:00.001-05:00

How easy is it to group people into “races” based on appearance? What about using individual traits? Does everybody classify the same way?

Try your hand at "sorting" individuals and see if it matches how people think of themselves. Or explore how we might sort people by physical traits.

When you see the small faces you can double click on them to make them larger. http://www.pbs.org/race/002_SortingPeople/002_00-home.htm

Remember Me

2007-10-12T17:41:00.002-04:00

This video was created by 15 year old Lizzie Palmer as a tribute to those serving our country. My hope for you is that when you see our flag or say the Pledge of Allegiance you will remember those who have sacrificed have made it possible to enjoy the freedoms we tend to take for granted.

Accounting Careers - Special Agents

2007-05-29T09:59:00.001-04:00

Mrs. Brink gave us an amazing look into the world of a Special Agent in the Criminal Investigation unit of the IRS. What do you think about the opportunity for a $10,000 a year raise for four years? How about digging in the garbage for evidence? As an agent for the IRS you are a duly sworn law enforcement officer with the opportunity to use your accounting skills. Training encompasses the most sophisticated financial investigative techniques including: tracking criminal transactions through cyberspace, as well as self-defense, firearms, and arrest techniques. Does this sound like a job for you?

Basic Qualifications:

US Citizen
Under the age of 37
Meet the appropriate educational requirements
Pass the IRS TEA exam

Visit www.irs.gov for more information.

Words of Wisdom

2007-05-26T23:00:00.003-04:00

With Graduation just a few days away and students dropping into class to say "good bye" for a second and third time I know that taking that last step off the curb of the high school isn't as easy as you thought it would be. As you take those first steps towards your future you are given such an opportunity for personal growth. I have a smile on my face as I write this thinking back on how I felt getting ready for college. I was scared and excited at the same time. Looking back I think if I only had done it with the wisdom I have now. What would I have changed? My advice to you would be to keep a journal of life's revelations, struggles, successes, and your life goals.

Tell me, what do you know now that you didn't know when you entered high school? What would be your words of wisdom to a brother or sister entering high school next year?