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Despite low high school GPAs, students applying to UNM can still be accepted if they have experienced exceptionally difficult circumstances.
Associate Vice President of Enrollment Management Terry Babbitt said “extenuating and challenging circumstances” overrule the University’s standard admissions requirements.
Beginning fall 2011, the University began implementing slight increases in admissions requirements each year in an effort to improve student success at the University. In fall 2011, admissions requirements increased from a 2.25 GPA to a 2.3 and from 13 to 14 college curricular units. Admissions requirements for fall 2012 include a minimum 2.4 GPA and 15 college preparatory course credits. In fall 2013, admissions requirements will increase to a 2.5 GPA and 16 college curricular units.
Babbitt said the University understands that a number of personal problems act as hurdles for students’ academic progress and make it hard for students to be successful during their high school careers. “For instance, if a student had a very ill family member and was forced to be a caregiver for an extended time, this could have a negative impact on their academic performance through no fault of theirs,” he said. “They could be considered for special admission.”
Babbitt said the process demonstrates the University’s commitment to helping students succeed, regardless of their struggles in the past. “It allows us to provide access for students who have broad life experiences, who have overcome challenging circumstances or who have been motivated to improve their academic performance,” he said. “This is critical for a public university.”
Babbitt said the special admissions process at UNM was approved by the Faculty Senate and has been in effect for more than 30 years.
He added that many other public universities have similar admission processes.
“Just about every university that has eligibility model admissions has a category that allows a more subjective, holistic review of student circumstances. It is often called special admissions or exception,” he said.
Babbitt said the University has an eligibility-based admissions model, which automatically admits students who meet standard admissions requirements, and that anyone unable to satisfy the requirements can request to be considered for special admission.
He said a special admissions committee organized by the University reviews special admissions applicants’ backgrounds based on the letters of references students are required to submit for consideration.
Babbitt said that although students who are considered for special admissions often only slightly miss the mark for the University’s academic admission requirements, all applicants accepted through special admissions are required to join academic support services on campus.
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Babbitt said the University admitted 22 special admissions applicants this year, 31 applicants in fall 2011 and 21 applicants in fall 2010. He said that although special admissions students consistently make up less than 1 percent of first-year students admitted to the University, the University allows up to 8 percent of every freshman class to come from special admissions cases.
Babbitt said that although the University has made efforts to increase admissions requirements to uphold the quality of its education in the past, the special admission process doesn’t necessarily degrade the University’s academic reputation.
“There is an equal need to balance access to attend UNM for students who fall just short of the quantitative requirements for admission, but who we feel can still be successful here,” he said.
Student Elizabeth Madrid said that special admissions do not hurt the academic status of the University. The policy, she said, helps further the education of students who could not do so otherwise.
“I think it’s fair,” she said. “I think everybody should have a chance to come to college regardless if you fit the requirements or not. I think everyone should be able to.”
Madrid said special admissions provide students who had academic difficulties in the past a “second chance.”
“Some of the students who don’t have enough qualifications can have another chance and they could possibly be successful,” she said. “If they weren’t able to get in because of the requirements, they might not be (successful), although they could have been.”
Babbitt said special admissions don’t affect students who are accepted through standard admissions, because students who are accepted through the standard process are accepted as soon as their academic records are reviewed by the office of admission. He said that because the process is much faster for standard admissions, students have access to University resources, such as financial aid, orientation reservations and housing spots, sooner than applicants under special admissions.
“Students who are considered for special admissions must submit a seventh-semester transcript and additional documentation,” he said. “The admission decision does not come until later in the spring, so uncertainty is present throughout.”
Babbitt said the special admissions process allows the University to accept students who may be successful with the appropriate support and guidance, and that the special admission process will help promote student success in the University by looking beyond what is written on students’ transcripts.
“The numbers themselves do not always tell the whole story,” he said.
