University of Virginia Library

In Admissions Office

Goals Shape Policy

By Henry Williams
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

"An admissions policy for a
university such as Virginia must
be determined initially by its ultimate
institutional goals," according
to Ernest H. Ern, Dean of
Admissions.

Mr. Ern, who was appointed to
the office of Admissions in
September, stated that these institutional
goals must precede the
hiring of a faculty, who will then
determine an admissions policy in
admitting those students who will
be challenged by the goals of the
institution.

Three Obligations

Such a general philosophy of
admissions is qualified at the University
by three basic obligations,
according to Mr. Ern. These include
obligations to the Commonwealth
of Virginia, to the faculty,
and particularly to the applicant,
the most important consideration.

Thus, Mr. Ern said, the University
admits all qualified applicants
from the state of Virginia
who are "qualified to attain academic
success," and the remaining
slots are filled by out-of-state students.
Virginia enjoys a relatively
high percentage of those in the
latter category, around 45 per cent.

1400 From 5000

Mr. Ern emphasized that the
process of choosing 1400 members
for the entering class out of about
5,000 applications concentrates on
each individual rather than relying
on a computerized system.
The information collected about
each applicant is carefully reviewed
by at least three members of the
Faculty Committee on Admissions,
Mr. Ern stated.

Such information consists of
many factors. Most important is an
applicant's high school record, in
which his class rank is compared
against the number of students
from, his secondary school who
go on to college. Also considered
are the competition within the
secondary school and the types
of courses the student has taken.

"We don't necessarily put all
our money on sure winners," Mr.
Ern said; in addition are a number
of "calculated risks." For
example, a student who is highly
motivated but below average in
aptitude may be preferred to one
low in drive, in spite of more
innate ability.

Foreign Applicants

When asked about foreign applicants,
Mr. Ern noted that great
numbers of inquiries are received
from them, most of whom need
immediate financial aid. Thus it
is a policy of the University to
award financial aid to foreign students
on an equal basis with other
students only after their first year
at the University. Otherwise, he
said, scholarship funds would
probably have to be tripled.

Commenting on the small number
of Negroes at the University,
Mr. Ern said that those Negroes
who can compete to go here can
compete to go almost anywhere,
noting that Virginia is in a highly
competitive league for any student.
He stated that there is at least
as much competition for Virginia
to get a highly qualified Negro
student as a Negro athlete, and
both qualities are highly desirable
to the University.

Mr. Ern emphasized that there
is no dual admissions policy with
respect to color.