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USF courts undecided students
By STEPHEN HEGARTY, Times Staff Writer TAMPA -- Cara McAloon, 18, strolled around the University of South Florida Sun Dome on Friday holding a yellow goody bag stuffed with a USF T-shirt, a campus map, a course directory and a gift certificate for the USF bookstore. USF has chosen Cara, but the Plant High senior doesn't know if she'll choose USF. She also has won admission to Florida State University. And Saint Leo College. "I need to visit all the campuses," Cara said. "I need to see where I feel comfortable. . . . I need to make a decision." USF rolled out the red carpet on Friday for 1,600 high school seniors -- what it hopes will be much of its incoming freshman class. They got goody bags and free food. They filed into the Sun Dome to get a pep talk from President Judy Genshaft and learn more about the university -- the academics, the social life. And they heard a serious message: We want you. In this era of competitive college admissions and rising academic standards, USF and other universities must try harder to attract a student body that is just a bit smarter and more diverse than the year before. The stakes are high. A university's reputation derives largely from the quality of students it attracts, and gaudy grade point averages and enormous SAT scores are the coin of the realm. Add to that the pressure to attract minority students in the wake of Gov. Jeb Bush's elimination of racial preferences in college admissions, and you have a very real competition among universities. "We don't assume today that everyone is coming here," said Dewey Holleman, director of admissions for USF. "This is our last formal effort, sort of a last chance to pitch the school." Typically, students have made a decision by now. Some will wait until May 1. That means that for many students, it is time to make the big decision. Precious Kilpatrick knows where she wants her daughter to attend college. She drove her daughter, Lucretia, 18, all the way from Miami on Friday morning. Lucretia, a senior at Miami Carol City High, still hasn't decided among Florida State, Florida International University and USF. "I'm trying to sell her on USF," Mrs. Kilpatrick said. "I want her to get the experience of being away from home. But not out of state. I don't know what makes a person decide." Some students already have decided. Angela Gipson, 17, of Titusville is just the sort of student USF wants to attract. She has strong grades. She's serious about college; the medical school is what led her to zero in on USF. The fact that she's an African-American student is a plus. Genshaft said USF's admissions numbers for the fall, though subject to change, look promising. She keeps tabs on overall application numbers, grade point averages, SAT scores and diversity -- meaning students' race, state of origin and academic interests. Applications are up this year. "Right now, things look great," Genshaft said. USF had a freshman class of about 3,800 last year. This year the university has admitted 7,300, though some will opt to attend another university. That number is impressive considering that the university raised its entrance requirements this year. The university says its enhanced reputation and increasingly creative pitches have helped it to attract students. A case in point: In March the university sent letters to recent admissions in the Northeast and Midwest. The letter arrived when the students -- many of them still undecided -- were still shivering through snow and ice. Included was a tiny ice scraper. Said admissions director Holleman: "The letter said, 'If you choose USF, here's an ice scraper. Leave it for your parents. You won't need it here.' That really got 'em."
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