By VALERIE METREJEAN

Staff Writer

Tech has set its standards a little higher for Fall 2005's incoming freshmen.

"The standard increase is a part of a master plan of the Board of Regents that all schools in Louisiana are incorporated with this year," Jan Albritton, the director of admissions, said.

Students now either need an ACT score of 23 or an overall GPA of 2.5 instead of an ACT score of 22 or core GPA of 2.3.

Two major new stipulations are also included: Students must have all TOPS core curriculum, which was formerly only required to obtain TOPS and must need only one remedial course.

"In fall of 2003, 22 percent of the accepted freshman would not have met the new requirements, but in the fall of 2004 the number dropped to 15 percent," Pamela Ford, the dean of enrollment management, said.

Ford said this showed how the school system is better preparing students for college.

"From grade school, junior high and high school, teachers are pushing awareness a lot more than they have in the past," Ford said. She also said she thinks the higher criteria will increase this preparation even further.

Albritton said Tech has not seen an increase in requirements since fall of 2002.

"We are expecting a decrease in enrollment, but we have hopes of retaining more," Albritton said. "We have to make sure students apply because I think there is a new fear factor when students hear that there are new requirements and get scared off."

Albritton said she believes there will be benefits to the increase in standards.

"Tech will have a better quality student which will affect the whole campus," Albritton said.

Ford said further benefits include a higher retention rate.

"Research has shown that schools with higher standards have students with better chance of graduating; even crime is lower," Ford said.

Ford said the turnout for applications already received has been better than expected with the majority meeting the standards.

The state is allowing an exception for 15 percent of the freshman class, which means this group will be admitted by last year’s standards. Albritton said 10 percent will go to minorities and the other five percent to legacies and special talents.

Scott Jewett, a freshman biomedical engineering major, said he thinks the new standards will prove to be good. Jewett said he thinks the process may weed out those students who see college simply as the next step after high school.

"Some people come to college just because they can, but with higher standards, it will be something that only those who really want to will do it," Jewett said.

Ford said Tech and other schools have had five years to prepare for the change.

Ford said, "Schools have known for a while but that does not mean that every student knew ahead of time, too."