For many years, potential pharmacy, architecture and nursing students have received acceptance letters to UB based on intended majors, yet were never sure if they would actually ever get those degrees. That's because archaic entrance policies left many out in the cold.
The problems stem from UB's practice of sending out more acceptance letters than openings every year. It usually works because only 32 percent of those chosen decide to attend UB. This plan doesn't work with more coveted and competitive programs like UB's schools of pharmacy and architecture.
The pharmacy school requires later acceptance, after hard-to-register-for prerequisite classes have been taken, which results in an overextended application process because of limited openings and high demand. An overhaul of admission policies is needed to alleviate this problem.
Limiting the number of acceptance letters UB sends out is not the answer though. One of the benefits of attending large public universities is the availability of education to all. Limiting acceptance letters flies in the face of public education's mission and could hurt other programs at UB. Furthermore, the ease that one can switch majors at a school this size allows for massive incoming classes.
The current admission policies are not fair to students who've completed program prerequisites, yet are denied acceptance, and as one associate dean put it: "Everyone and their neighbor wants to take these courses, but in the end all it does is leave stranded students and packed lecture halls."
UB needs to cap admissions to specific, high-demand programs like pharmacy for incoming freshmen, whether making them more selective or communicating with potential students more effectively.
Photo: Breadchastick / Wikimedia Commons
