As the number of incoming freshmen at UNM grows, figures compiled by the Office of Institutional Research suggest that a bigger class doesn't necessarily mean a better one - or a worse one.
According to Freshman Facts, an annual document compiled by the office, UNM first-time freshman had an average GPA of 3.32 in 1995. That number shrunk slightly in subsequent years - bottoming out at 3.24 in 2001 - then rebounded to 3.31 in 2002.
The document also shows that entry-level students at the University ranked slightly lower in their high school graduating classes in 2002 than in 1995. The number of students graduating in the top 90 percent of their classes has dropped significantly during the same time frame, from 22 percent to 17 percent.
During the eight-year period, UNM's freshman class size has steadily increased, with a slight dip in 2001, before reaching last year's record of more than 2,700 students.
Robin Ryan, associate director of admissions, said statistics such as freshman GPAs and high school class rankings are cyclical in nature and often don't follow any set patterns.
"I don't think kids are getting smarter or less smart," Ryan said. "Those numbers just go up and down all the time."
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The Lottery Scholarship, she said, is one reason UNM's freshman class size continues to swell. The New Mexico Lottery Act of 1996 has doled out more than $59 million to students since it took effect in 1997.
The scholarship "has given a lot of kids who wouldn't have thought college was possible a chance," Ryan said. "They think, 'wow, if I get good grades and then continue to get good grades, I can get a (college) diploma.'"
Another contributing factor to the apparently static average UNM freshman is that the University does not require new students to have a minimum score on the ACT exam.
The average freshman ACT score at UNM has dropped from 22.6 in 1995 to 21.6 in 2002, according to Freshman Facts. The U.S. Department of Education's numbers show that UNM students have consistently scored lower than the national average on the test.
"But we do not have an open admissions policy, like TVI, contrary to what some people may say or think," Ryan said.
Three criteria are used in admitting students: a 2.25 cumulative GPA and a 2.25 GPA in 13 college-preparatory courses; a formula that includes GPA, ACT and or SAT scores and high school rank; and an appeal process that requires letters of recommendation and an explanation of extenuating circumstances for students who don't meet the first two requirements.
Ryan said that Faculty Senate guidelines stipulate that no more than 5 percent of the freshman class can be comprised of students who are admitted under the third criterion.
Terry Babbitt, director of Recruitment Services, says the Lottery and Bridge to Success Scholarships have increased the number of B and C students coming into UNM, thereby skewing perceptions of the percentages.
Admissions requirements and the quality of UNM's future freshman classes, Babbitt said, "are going to be hot, even controversial topics on campus in the coming months."
