While a top-ten ranking is nothing to scoff at, McCombs'
#9 position in the recent BusinessWeek survey of
undergraduate business programs might have been higher.
Among the factors considered in that inaugural survey
are students' SAT scores. McCombs, which is subject to
the limitations imposed by the Texas Top Ten Percent
Law, has the lowest SAT average of any school in the top
10.
Make no mistake, our students are top notch; many are
competitive with students who attend other leading
programs such as Wharton. Our program is also
increasingly competitive to get into; the program saw a
record number of applications in 2006—more than 6,000
for a class of about 800 freshmen. But despite the
higher numbers and the competence of our students, the
SAT average remains flat.
Here’s why: Under the Top Ten Percent Law, passed in
1997, any Texas high school student who graduates in the
top 10 percent of his or her high school class is
guaranteed admission to a state university. The business
school—historically a school in high demand—would have
to admit more
people than there are spots available under the law.
To address this problem, McCombs instituted a cap: 75
percent of the freshman class is admitted under the law.
The remaining quarter is filled considering other
factors, including essays, extracurricular activities,
class rank, SAT score and diversity.
In practice, this means the school admits students
beginning with those in the top 1 percent, then the top
2 percent, and so on until 75 percent of the class
is filled. Recently, all of those spots have been
filled with students whose class ranks are as high as
the top 3 percent of their high school classes. So many
talented students apply to the business school that the
class is filled before we even reach those students with
a lower class rank than top 3 percent.
But here’s the rub: The size and quality of high
schools varies greatly around the state. Thus, a top 10
percent class rank at one Texas high school may not be
equivalent to a top 10 percent rank at another. The
school’s hands are tied when it comes to considering
more factors besides class rank. Simply put, the program
lacks the ability to completely determine who is
admitted and who is denied.
This law was designed to increase admissions diversity
by putting all Texas high schools on a common plane.
While it may have had some effect in this area, by
limiting the McCombs School’s (and the university’s)
ability to select students based on more than just one
factor, the law has had unintended consequences.
by George Gau, Dean
