Editorial Staff

Public Statement: Admission Bias Against Massachusetts Residents

/in , , , /by Editorial Staff
Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter
Share on
LinkedIn
+

Freshman admission to the University of Massachusetts’ flagship Amherst campus is more competitive for the Commonwealth’s students than for out-of-state applicants, as reported in Pioneer Institute’s study, “Differentiating Admissions Standards at UMass-Amherst to Meet Out-of-State Enrollment Targets.”

For instance, in the fall of 2016, the average combined SAT scores of accepted, in-state, first-time degree-seeking Massachusetts students were 23 points higher than the average of similar students accepted from out-of-state. The numbers imply that Massachusetts residents are held to a higher admissions standard. The pattern of accepting out-of-state students with lesser academic credentials than in-state students has been consistent since at least 2010, with respect to both combined SAT scores and high school grade point averages.

Solutions

There are solutions to the perverse outcome of current UMass admission policies.  One example is the University of California.  The UC system had been on course similar to UMass when a state audit found the University had lowered its standards for non-resident admissions.   In response to public outrage sparked by the audit, University officials committed to only accepting out-of-state students with higher academic qualifications than the average of accepted in-state students. Under the new practice, accepted out-of-state students at the flagship Berkeley campus in the fall of 2017 far out-performed in-state accepted students, scoring on average 115 points higher on the combined SAT. The average GPA of accepted non-resident students was also higher than their in-state counterparts. 

North Carolina provides another instructive example. To curb growing out-of-state enrollment, in 1986 the University of North Carolina capped the number of out-of-state students at 18 percent of total enrollment.  In 2016, UNC’s flagship campus at Chapel Hill was fined $1 million for exceeding its non-resident enrollment cap for the second consecutive year, with 19.5 percent of enrollees coming from out-of-state.

Massachusetts can address troubling UMass admissions trend and end the potential harm to Massachusetts students and residents.  The issue is not whether to welcome talented out-of-state or international students; the Commonwealth should strive to bring in young talent with the hope that they will one day make their homes here and contribute to growing the state economy.  The issue is that since Massachusetts taxpayers are subsidizing the UMass system — and such subsidies have grown from $519 million (2013) to $721 million (2017) in just the past four years — Massachusetts students should not be penalized for growing up here.

 

Stay Connected!

 

Related Posts

MassPensions: The Leaders and Laggards among Massachusetts Public Pension Systems

0 Comments
/
As detailed in a recent study published by the Pioneer Institute,…

Study Finds Student Growth Percentile Is Unreliable, Limits Access to Charter Public Schools

High degree of error, especially in small school districts, leads…

Pioneer Public Statement on Legislative Demise of New Bedford Charter School Deal

This past week, in a display of the state’s teacher unions'…

The Mass. Pike is in for some massive disruption. Are we ready?

0 Comments
/
The Boston Globe By Mary Connaughton and Jim Aloisi May…

Pioneer Institute Public Statement on UMass Financial Oversight

0 Comments
/
Contact Micaela Dawson, 617-723-2277 ext. 203 or mdawson@pioneerinstitute.org Pioneer…

Study Finds UMass Leadership – Not Campus Administrators – Bears Primary Responsibility for UMass Boston Budget Woes

University board approved irresponsible campus spending based…

Nationally Syndicated Columnist George Will Covers Pioneer’s SCOTUS Amicus Brief Topic on School Choice

0 Comments
/
For many years, Pioneer Institute has been a leader in the effort…

Public statement on new federal rule eliminating “skimming” of dues from caregivers’ Medicaid payments

Pioneer Institute applauds a new rule announced by the U.S. Centers…

A Rational Voice on the State of American Higher Education and the Cost Crisis

0 Comments
/
At a time of increasing disruption in the higher education marketplace,…

Pioneer Institute Files Amicus Brief Urging Supreme Court to Hear School Choice Case

Claims amendment to Montana Constitution motivated by anti-Catholic…

New Study Urges State to Slow Down, Rethink Proposal to Protect Students from College Closings

Board of Higher Education proposal risks “false positives”…

U.S. HHS Secretary Alex Azar to Be Featured Speaker at Pioneer Institute’s 2019 Hewitt Healthcare Lecture

BOSTON – Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human…

MassOpenBooks: A look inside MassPort

0 Comments
/
Every day, thousands of passengers pass through Logan Airport,…

Some Public, Private MA Universities Adapting to Rise of Tech in Finance Industry, but Students Still Insufficiently Prepared

New report recommends establishing additional coursework, certification…

State DPH Continues to Deny Private School Students Millions in School Nurse Services

State should establish a fund to provide partial support for…

Public Statement: A Responsible Reply to the Fall River Superintendent’s Comments

In a recent opinion piece, Charlie Chieppo, a Pioneer Senior…

New Study Finds Multiple Problems with Push for Social-Emotional Learning in K-12 Education

Little research evidence for, or objective, reliable way to measure…