Collegiate Times

A fifth of the largest application class in Tech history of almost 19,000 applicants listed its race as ?other.?

This ?other? grouping consists mostly of those who would typically fall under the ?White? category as well as mixed-race students with Caucasian parentage, according to two Tech administrators and a study published by the Irvine Foundation, a California-based non-profit that focuses on education issues for low-income citizens.

The study took pre-applicant decision data from several California colleges and then compared it to surveys taken at the beginning of the school year, when students had decided to attend the schools. This data reflected the fact that composition of the student body often shifted towards more ?White? students.

Though the study does not state reasons why students may leave this information out of the application, Judy Edwards, career center specialist at Lake Braddock Secondary School in Burke sees a clear motive.

?People just feel that it may hurt them. I think that it?s become so competitive, that they?re thinking that (if) they?re an ?average white person? that they won?t get in,? Edwards said.

Another view on why students have become more inclined to the ?other? box is they find it hard to fit their complex heritage into one category.

?It?s unclear both for a minority student and for a non-minority student? most issues I have with ethnicity are when a student is confused whether they are a minority or not,? said Betty Schneider, career center head at Langley High School in McLean.

Norrine Bailey Spencer, associate provost director of undergraduate admissions, said the inclusion of an applicant?s race only adds ?another dimension? to an application.

?The phrase in admissions-speak is ?holistically? ? we read the whole application,? Bailey Spencer said, a reading primarily based on strength academic schedule, GPA and SAT score. ?I think you have nothing to hide.?

Widner reiterated the fact that, just like community service, leadership, or the optional personal statements, race is just one of many factors considered.

?It can be an extra factor, an extra push ? if (an applicant) is a 3.65 student and their race is one of several factors they?re bringing in, and all other things being equal, compared to a non-minority student with a 3.75, that might put that student over the top, but ? we look at the whole application,? she said.

Either way, this sort of posturing is in line with trends in college admissions, according to Ed Spencer, associate vice president for student affairs who has conducted research on the current ?Millenial? generation of college students and their hands-on parents.

?I think there is a lot of perceived need to be very competitive ? admissions people have heard talks about (application frenzy) almost being a mental disorder for families, of ?getting into the right school.? We?ve gotten calls at the university from parents wanting the admissions staff to react to the quality of a specific school ? for kindergarten,? Ed Spencer said.

Widner said the university had 4.3 percent of applicants list themselves as ?other? in 2001.

No matter the racial orientation of the incoming class, Tech has no plans to increase its size.

?We have a fairly finite number of student spots we can offer,? said Widner.

With enrollment steady, competition will necessarily rise.

?With a continuing freshman class size of 5,000 coupled with more applications, it is true that more applicants will not be offered admission this year,? said Bailey Spencer.

Increased applications are partly a result of the enrollment management plan, said David Ford, vice provost for academic affairs.

?The plan is a programming effort by the office of undergraduate affairs intended to increase enrollment, and also to get applications to be more diverse in regards to majors, race, ethnicity and gender,? Ford said.

Edwards cited at least other ways the university has attracted prospective students.

?Because of the football team, my nephew called me and said, ?Tell me about Blacksburg, those Hokies. Yeah, my counselor told me I should think about applying there because I?m interested in engineering,?? Edwards said. ?He?s from a small town in New Hampshire.?

Freshman applicants accepted to Virginia Tech will be notified of their application decisions on April 1.