University of Virginia Library

University Ranks Fifth
In '72-'73 Application Rise

CD/Andre Berkin

Assoc. Law Prof. Charles H. Whitebread

Education's Purpose To Provide Decision Making Tools

The University had the fifth largest
yearly increase in applications for this
fall's entering class, and the largest
increase in out-of-state applications
among 82 state universities and land grant
colleges.

According to a survey by the National
Association of State Universities and
Land Grant Colleges, the University also
had the third largest decrease among the
schools this year in admissions offered to
first-year class applicants.

Admissions Dean Ernest H. Ern said
the tremendous increase in applications
was due primarily to the low cost of
attending the University.

"We're an absolute academic bargain,"
he said. "Most schools we compete most
vigorously with charge two or three times
our out-of-state tuition."

Programs Go Uncut

"Secondly, as a public institution with
a large private endowment, we haven't
had to cut back on academic programs as
some schools have," he added.

"This is the first year we will be a fully
coeducational institution with no quotas
on the admission of women," Mr. Ern
said, "and 38 per cent of our applications
came from women."

As of March 1, the University had
received 8,790 applications for the 1972
first-year class.

Including applications from high
school students and from those seeking
transfer from other institutions, the
University had received a total of 10,600
applications.

Application Ratio Increases

The State University of New York
(SUNY) had the largest number of
applications-6.29—for each available
place in the entering class. The University
was second with 4.48 applications per
space.

The survey indicated that nationally,
the number of admissions applications to
first-year classes showed the smallest
increase in 10 years—only 1.37 per cent
higher than last year.

The University received 1,115
applications, or 14 per cent, more than it
received last year. SUNY, Rutgers,
Cornell, and Ohio State were the only
four universities reporting larger
numerical increases.

Only the University of Vermont had a
larger increase in out-of-state
applications. It reported an increase of
1,025 applications, compared with 914 at
the University.

The NASULGC survey reported that
Colorado State and North Carolina State
were the only two schools to decrease
their first year class size by a
larger percentage than the University's
7.49 per cent.