It just got harder to be an Aggie

[aggiejazz]

I understand some of the conflicted feelings about the higher admission standards that are really not that high for in-state students.

One thing I do understand is that A&T's chancellor has to answer to someone who is dead serious about the state universities' retention rate and graduation rate and it is not the board of trustees that is seriously questioning Battle. It is Erskine Bowles. The same Erskine that made both chancellors of A&T and NCCU hold a meaningless press conference about a supposely riot among the A&T and NCCU football players that was really a scuffle and an over-zealous campus cop with an itchy pepper finger.

[DOOMS]

Would you rather have Erskine or Molly "throw a picnic" Broad running the show?

Bowles has openly stated he expects a whoooole lot better from A&T. Why shouldn't we?

[aggiejazz]

Erskine and thanks for the correct spelling.

The last statement was showing that Erskine is in charge. I think Erskine ordered the press conference so the press would stop calling his office. I don't believe he was trying to 'dog' the chancellors.

[@ProfBellamy]

da1andonle said:

These are the reasons why enrollment went way up so fast and rennick looked so good from the outside and probably why he left. Theres no way you can maintain a University with that as your base. But the part thats crazy to me is that when enrollment went up so did tuition, and the price of everything else on campus for that matter.

Anybody know why that was?

Molly Broad's leadership style was laissez faire, where she allowed for campus administrators to do what they wanted as long as it followed the UNC-GA and Board of Governors' expectations. It was known that the 5 of the 7 focus growth schools grew exponentially by lowering standards... and it was only after her departure that people realized that growth without the proper planning was detrimental to the health of the system and our beloved alma mater.

Increasing admission standards is just a first a step. But, I think Dr. Welborne has said best in many meetings I've been privileged to be in. He talks about how A&T has allowed people in who didn't have the best credentials and they have flourished. Ditto on what Dr. McCain's statements in the article. BUT... as apart of the University system and the expectation that we're the top HBCU... we're expected to be the best and to be the best... the systems' logic is to bring in the best. Because, note: We're the only HBCU in the system that is classified as a research institution. So...under President Bowles and more importantly Dr. Harold Martin at UNC-General Admin. A&T will be expected to lead the way in doing better in retention, minority affairs, research and producing new knowledge.

Because of this thread, I've gotten a new wind to finish up working on senior thesis and data analysis...

[AggieWJM]

Being from VA and a house full of Aggies, I am concerned about the out of state requirements, but, I understand that state money should be used by state residents. My brother would have still got in. I would have been at Norfolk State(4 1/2 hrs.) or Virginia State(3 1/2 hrs.) although A&T was only 40 min. away south.

[Bornthrilla]

I'm glad we got dudes like Aggie08 in the BDF.

[DOOMS]

I'm glad we've got dudes like that at A&T.


As far as all of us cats from out-of-state that wouldn't have gotten in (present company included), how much better would we have done in school if we knew that our grades had to be at a certain level in order to get into A&T?

At no point did I worry about not being able to get into A&T. That was because all of my in-state cousins told me "everybody gets into A&T." That is the reputation we have.

Since I wasn't worried about it, I didn't work very hard. In fact, I didn't work at all.

When I visited A&T as a high school senior I was immediately sold. If they had told me I couldn't get in (they probably should have considering how I wasted my first two years) I was so set on going to A&T that I would've gone to Guilford Tech for a year just to get my g.p.a. up. Coming in I would've known A&T doesn't play b.s. grades. That changes your viewpoint on how you will do when you get there.

When I went to A&T it was "the party school." That was my view and as a result that's how I treated it. That's how all my friends treated it. Some of the still haven't graduated almost 20 years later.

A&T is not a community college. We should be the "Black Georgia Tech" of NC in my opinion. Theoretically, more grads equals more alumni donations. More dropouts equals more people blaming A&T for all their troubles.

Higher standards (albeit these are still low as all hell) are an investment in the school's future. Again, if a kid really wants to go to A&T and his grades won't allow it he will go to community college and bust his behind. When he gets to A&T he will be better prepared and both the kid and the school will excel as a result.

[aggielaw]

Don't worry about students getting in at T. You can transfer in from another college after the Fall semester. I know of some Coppin State students who plan to show up this Spring after not being accepted for the Fall.. People will still be able to rather easily get into T if they desire.

[Aggie Monster]

I like the up in standards. I'm with Dooms, once I decided to go to A&T I knew what i had to do(which was not much) and I would get in. I would have made better grades my last year of school if I knew I had to up my GPA.

[DOOMS]

aggielaw said:

Don't worry about students getting in at T. You can transfer in from another college after the Fall semester. I know of some Coppin State students who plan to show up this Spring after not being accepted for the Fall.. People will still be able to rather easily get into T if they desire.

I knew a few cats that used Fayetteville State as their juco to get into A&T and also to get their grades up for a semester or two.

The means are still there if a kid wants to go to T. It just so happens the means will better prepare them to give a positive contribution to T and to themselves.

Knuckleheads and underachievers will be attracted to the school with standards continuing to be that low. Put the in-state standards at 950 and 2.85 and we will see students that put school first attracted to the school. We will see happier students and a happier faculty.

To use a phrase that was used in another thread, 750 and 2.25 is sub-standard.

[90Aggie]

For out-of-state applicants, even more is required: an SAT score of 950 or higher and a GPA of at least 2.85.

WOW! I wouldn't have gotten in. I had the GPA but not the SAT score.

[Maxell]

But think about it this way. In 2006, a score of 950 was only in the 36th percentile. This means you scored better than only 36% of the people who took the test. The 50th percentile was around 1100 meaning half the people did better and half did worse.

[DOOMS]

Hmmph. Judging from our responses maybe they should raise the in-state requirements and lower the out-of-state requirements.

[aggie82]

i have thought about this for two days, and i personally believe 2.25 is way too low..... are we a glorified junior college or a world class university?....when i was coming up, i was taught to make good grades so you can go to college....now it looks like all you have to do is graduate and take the SAT...30 years ago when i was a freshman, they used to say, if you cant get in anywhere else, you can get in at A&T....

what else does a high school kid have to do besides do his school work? yeah, i am old school , i graduated in 82 from T, got a MBA from Rutgers in 85, and never made six figures until me and my wife opened our own business...no knock on a&t...i didnt do my work in college and had to go back to school to straighten things out....

life is tough..we have to stop sugar coating and side stepping the real issues...Average for Black America is below average in the real world...What happened to the instilling the values of hard work?

When are we going to take the stance that perhaps A&T is not for everyone? When are we really going to be first class?

2.25 is a joke, and deep down inside, most of us realize that it is tragic mistake...i hate to think what the requirements were before it got RAISED to 2.25...

[@ProfBellamy]

doomsday said:

Hmmph. Judging from our responses maybe they should raise the in-state requirements and lower the out-of-state requirements.

WHAT??? The in-state requirement is going to be the baseline throughout the system. The ultimate goal is to make a 2 tiered system. If you cannot get into a UNC-System school then you go to the community colleges and do a 2+2 program.

Additionally, the Out of State requirements are the minimum. Its not likely you'll get in with that GPA and SAT combination. I keep saying this: Coming to A&T as an out of state student is a privilege. Remember we have a out of state cap that is around 17-20% depending (Engineerings' cap is higher). If the university has about 25% overall out of state. Then thats good. But anymore, then lawmakers may start asking: Are we providing the state with the opportunity for an education partially funded by tax payers.

This is just a start. As we fight the system to offer more Graduate Programs, especially Ph.D.'s in the STEM fields it will behoove us to remember our history and legacy, but build upon it. So, maybe that student who had a 1.7 and a 500 on the SAT can't get in A&T on their first try...but after at least a year in the community college... there is a chance. Also, if the primary and secondary schools do their jobs then more students may be eligible to get into the UNC system at their first try.