Pre-business students in the UA Eller College of Management submitted Eller College professional admission applications for the fall 2015 semester on Feb. 17 — with the hope they won’t have to reapply in subsequent semesters.
Laura Ullrich, assistant director of lower division and professional admission for the Eller College, said around 400 applications are accepted each fall and spring semester.
“Our admission rate typically ranges from 75-90 percent, depending on the number of students who apply in any given semester,” Ullrich said.
Ullrich said curriculum within the college professional program is designed to be completed in four years, because many students who apply for college professional admissions apply during their sophomore year.
“For students who are admitted, our enrollment management of our upper division courses allows us to register students for the classes that they need in the semester in which they need them,” Ullrich said, “assuming that they are on track with their sequencing and requirements.”
Ullrich said students who are denied during their sophomore year still have time to work with advisers to make any necessary adjustments to their academic plans. She said this might require that students take advantage of summer or winter courses in order to graduate on time.
Dylan Hunt, a business management senior, said he applied for the Eller College professional admissions during his second semester in his sophomore year with a 2.80 GPA and was not admitted.
Hunt was admitted to the Eller marketing major after reapplying during the fall semester of his junior year with a 3.20 GPA.
“If you ask me, it’s a business scheme,” he said. “They take all the high-GPA people in the spring to tell freshmen how the average GPA was a 3.50. Then in the fall, everyone gets an offer. Fortunately, management majors can graduate in three semesters.”
Lauren Sayers, a pre-business sophomore, is an honors student and will be given direct admission to the Eller College when she applies this semester.
“I’m thankful for having a guaranteed spot within the business school,” she said. “It makes my semester less stressful, and I can be confident about graduating on time.”
Charles Recchion, a finance sophomore, applied to the Eller College a semester early and was admitted.
“When I got into Eller, I felt relieved and excited to move past [general education classes] and start my business classes,” he said. “I’m going to add a second major with the extra semester I gained.”
Ullrich said the marketing, finance and accounting majors generally get the most applicants. She also said that in the past few semesters, there has been a growing interest in the management information systems major as well.
Hunt said he applied to the business management major primarily because he wanted to learn more about becoming a leader.
“In hindsight, I wish I would have studied finance,” Hunt said. “If you know how the money works, you can work the money.”
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