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	Vol.7, No 11, September 16, 1999
	CSU raises admission standards From staff and AP reports Thousands of students now entering high school will have to take more classes to get into the California State University after a CSU board approved a plan Wednesday to raise admission standards for incoming freshmen. CSU's governing board unanimously approved the plan. The University of California regents approved the guidelines in March. "I think it was a very good decision -- I applaud it,î said Cal State Long Beach President Robert Maxson. "In the first place, it makes the CSU and UC admissions standards the same. I think that will keep high school students from being confused." The two public university systems have maintained different admission standards and requirements because each has its own mandate from the state. The more prestigious UC schools consider only the top 12.5 percent of the stateís graduating high school seniors, while the CSU system, dubbed the ëëpeopleís university,íí takes the top one-third. This setup often forces students to take extra courses to meet both admission standards. "Both systems are doing what they should have done years ago," said Tomas Hernandez, a guidance counselor at Central Valley High School in Santa Ana. "With one set of guidelines, we donít have to have students preparing for one system and not the other." Under the new requirements, incoming CSU freshmen will be required to have an extra year of high school laboratory science and another of social science. The UC system will require a year of visual or performing arts classes, such as art, dance or music. This year's crop of high school freshmen will be the first to have completed the courses when they apply to either university system. Together, the requirements include four years of English, three years of math, two years of social science, two years of laboratory science, two years of foreign language, one year of visual or performing arts and one year of electives. Rob Carrigg, a CSULB economics graduate student, said he believes this new admission system should benefit both school systems. "I think it's a good thing that they are raising the standards to be competitive with the UC system," he said. "Hopefully that will attract attention to the Cal State schools." Carrigg said the new requirements should also benefit incoming freshman. "It might seem unfair to the incoming students now, but I feel it will better prepare them for their four years in college," he said. But the new requirements, especially the addition of the arts class, may prove difficult for some of the stateís public schools. "There's a question of whether or not every high school in California can deliver it," said UC spokesman Terry Lightfoot. A number of high schools in rural areas or poor urban neighborhoods donít offer art history, dance or other such classes, or they have a limited number of classes, he said. Currently, incoming CSU freshmen who were unable to take the arts requirement are admitted if they agree to take it in their first year of college. Although admission standards will be higher for high school students, Maxson said the new requirements should not lower enrollment. "I donít believe that it will affect enrollment because any college-bound student, regardless of whether theyíre going to the UC or CSU system, know they have to take the courses,î Maxson said. ìI think high school counselors will advise all of their students to follow this path." David S. Spence, executive vice chancellor of the 23-campus CSU system, acknowledged the new requirements could place a burden on some students. He said the responsibility falls on the universities to address such problems. "We have remedies, allowances for students who are missing a course or two," Spence said.		CSU raises admission standards Students mingle with employers High Schoolers focus of new bill Bookstore sales up despite Web stores Bill to keep guns from mentally unstable Assembly bill may reduce area code confusion Cultural center celebrates diversity on campus Police need policing Out-of-wedlock birth decline at what cost Mr. Mike comes through Magic wins with 'Thuggin' High school ballers show off their skills Coach Gimmillaro looking forward to challenge Best of the West face-off at USC Fall 99 ISSUES DAILY 49ER HOMEPAGE
Forty-Niner Publications, Department of Journalism, California State University, Long Beach ©1999 All rights reserved.