Spanier debates current college admission trend

Students may not be adequately prepared for University work and some may not even belong there. In a radio conference with WPSU-FM (91.5) last night, University President Graham Spanier and his guest, Vice Provost for Enrollment, Management and Administration John Romano, addressed these issues that impact the University and the admissions selection.

The push to send these students into four-year University programs comes from parents, secondary school communities and guidance counselors who often measure the success of a graduating class by the number of students planning to attend college, Spanier said.

"We are doing these students a disservice by channeling them into baccalaureate programs," Spanier said. "Some of the best jobs out there now are the jobs that don't require a baccalaureate degree. There are probably more students out there who should really be thinking about going into business school," he added.

Romano agreed with Spanier and was concerned about the uncertainty most high school graduates face.

"Many young men and women are not clear of what their intelligences are and struggle to find the right post-secondary education path," Romano said.

Spanier and Romano also spoke about University admission procedures and addressed the selectivity and qualifications of incoming students.

"There are two main areas we look at for admissions," Romano said. "First, the student's academic performance in high school, which is most important, and second, the SAT or ACT scores."

Romano said other factors, such as Advanced Placement courses, can also impact an admission decision, but high school grades carry the most weight. The notable inflation of a student's high school grade point average makes higher grades especially important, he added.

The average University student at the University Park campus scored about 100 points above average on the SAT, but Spanier said there is still a noticeable struggle in freshman-level courses with many students failing introductory courses. Spanier added he hoped to find the source of this problem to help new students earn higher grades in their first semesters.

Spanier also addressed the criticism that many colleges are becoming too business-like where any 18-year-old with money can go to college.

"I really believe we do not do this at Penn State, filling spots just for revenue generation," he said.

Rather, both administrators said academia was the motivating force behind admission.

"We only admit students who have the requisite academic background," Romano said.

As for the future, Spanier expressed a need for all types of post-secondary education institutions to be involved with high schools, the students and their parents.

"We can do a better job of explaining to the students and parents that there are alternatives to college," he said. "Today's students can step up to a higher level of achievement if we encourage them to do so."