“Why straight A’s may not get you into UW this year” by Katherine Long The Seattle Times Published 4/2/11 Retrieved 4/16/11 Complete URL: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2014670294_admissions03m.html Intended Audience: college applicants, parents
Summary: The University of Washington has reduced the number of in-state college applicants that will be accepted into their undergraduate program while increasing the number of out-of-state applicants. Washington high school seniors with high test scores and straight-A’s were denied admission while non-residents with lower grades were accepted. With a $5 billion state budget deficit, it was decided that accepting more non-residents who pay almost triple the tuition would be more economical, even if it meant turning away in-state valedictorians.
Key Points • Out-of-state residents will now make up 30% of the entering freshman class, up from 27% last year. State schools in Oregon and Colorado have followed similar trends with non-residents comprising over 40% of the entering class. • In-state tuition is set at $8,701 per year while out-of-state tuition is $25,329 per year. • In-state applicants are not allowed to pay out-of-state tuition in hopes for a better chance of acceptance.
Relevance: For some students – in-state applicants in this case – getting straight-A’s in all four years of high school, as difficult as that is, is simply not enough to get accepted into their school of choice if it happens to be in the same state in which they grew up. While additional activities such as community service and taking IB classes may guarantee them a place at other, even more prestigious colleges, it may still not be enough for the University of Washington. It’s a pretty sad compromise to trade top-notch students for lower-achieving non-residents just because they can bring the state more money – and temporarily at that. Many out-of-state students go back home and stimulate their own economies after graduation, leaving no long-term benefit for Washington’s economy.
I understand that the economy is not doing well, that money is tight, that education in particular is loosing funding - BUT - this can't be the best answer that the great minds of UW can come up with. How discouraging! I question their commitment to education. It appears their commitment is to money. I know I am being harsh but this stinks.
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