The freshman class of 1998 was the best in Carolina history, and a new option for high school students who apply to the University should help keep the top students coming.
ThatÕs what Jerry Lucido, associate vice provost and admissions director, told Board of Trustee members at the panelÕs Nov. 19 meeting.
Lucido said the 1998 class was the best-prepared of any entering Carolina. In making his case, he pointed to the classÕs 1232 SAT average (11 points higher than 1997), success on Advanced Placement Tests (2,538 of 5,595 exams earned credit) and participation in extracurricular activities (233 students were high school class presidents and another 111 were student body presidents, for instance).
"TheyÕre amazing students," Lucido said.
According to Lucido, the 1232 SAT mark is CarolinaÕs best ever, even considering a "re-centering" of scores that took effect in 1996, which caused scores to jump 60 to 80 points.
Lucido noted that 1996 scores averaged 1222, 100 points better than 1992Õs 1122 and 80 points better than 1994Õs 1142. That means SAT performance improved even when taking re-centering into account. And scores have continued to rise since 1996, with the 1998 mark the highest ever.
In a move Lucido said will help Carolina land even more top students, the Admissions Office plans to add an "early decision" option for applicants beginning with incoming freshman in 2000.
Details now are being worked out, but the Admissions Office is considering an early decision plan whereby high school seniors who apply by Oct. 15 of their senior year would know in late November whether they had been accepted. If accepted, these students would be committed to enrolling at Carolina.
Applicants who now apply by Oct. 15 or Nov. 16 may get whatÕs known as "Early Action" on their applications Ñ meaning they find out whether theyÕve been accepted within a few weeks, but these students arenÕt obligated to enroll.
Lacking an early decision option puts the University at a recruiting disadvantage, Lucido said, particularly when it comes to competing with peer schools which have the alternative Ñ such as Duke University, Davidson College, Wake Forest University and the University of Virginia.
"Early decision plans are locking away top students," Lucido said. "ThereÕs a certain cadre of students thatÕs not accessible to us right now."
Lucido said early decision is popular with many high students, with 10 to 40 percent of college-bound students in some high schools going that route.
"Many very top students are operating in this plane and they like it, so we feel like we have to have a plan for them," he said.
Students accepted via early decision wonÕt be legally bound to enroll at Carolina -- rather their enrollment will be based on an honor system -- but Lucido said 95 percent of early decision acceptances typically abide by such agreements.
Lucido added that students not accepted through early decision wonÕt necessarily be out of the running for admission. These applications could be bumped up to the general application pool for consideration, should admissions officials decide the applicantsÕ credentials merit such action.
The Board of Trustees was not required to give the early decision plan formal approval, but members did endorse the concept.
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