"A Commitment to Delawareans," a document intended to aid Delaware residents in high school on the path to admission into the university, is being assembled by Provost Dan Rich and the Office of Admissions, and will be finalized this spring.
The document will provide a curriculum for students, teachers and administrators to guide in-state residents applying to the university.
According to the first draft, released at a Faculty Senate meeting in January, Delaware students who follow the guidelines will have a higher chance of admittance into a four-year degree program at the Newark campus.
Prior admission requirements published by the university listed the minimum number of college preparatory courses to be completed and did not mention the level at which they should be completed.
"A Commitment to Delawareans," addressed to students entering the university in Fall 2009, recommends the completion of 20 academic units of at least the college preparatory level, in addition to two courses of higher level, such as honors or advanced placement.
It requires four years of rigorous courses in English, math and science, as well as two years of history and social studies.
It also states that having no grade in any course be below a B- is optimal, and that a student's conduct must be appropriate in and out of school.
According to the draft, a student is best prepared for admission into the university by a combination of taking a rigorous academic schedule and earning consistently high grades.
Louis Hirsh, director of admissions, said a student can take a rigorous workload by enrolling in more college preparatory courses.
"It makes a huge difference if a student is taking five to six college prep courses a semester or only two to three college prep courses," Hirsh said. "It means covering all of the major academic areas.
"Finally, it means showing evidence that you are willing to stretch yourself by including coursework that is more advanced, for instance, honors, AP or IB courses."
Hirsh said the draft is not in response to alleged talk that admission is too easy for Delaware residents. It is intended to take the mystery out of admission qualifications.
"Our intention is not to make it 'harder' or 'easier' to gain admission," Hirsh said. "Our intention is to show students how they can be better prepared to succeed in college."
Hirsh said the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive and believes the plan will strengthen high school curriculum throughout the state.
Senior Kate Pytlik, a fashion merchandising major from Virginia, says she thinks the plan will benefit Delaware students.
"It's a great idea because it eliminates the need to apply to safety schools if you know that you've followed the requirements," Pytlik said. "Also there aren't a lot of schools in Delaware, so it gives them an advantage."
Sophomore Paula DePrima, a health promotions and management major from Delaware, said she believes these more detailed specifications for admission will benefit students.
In high school, DePrima applied both early decision and regular admission to the university and was not admitted.
"I did not understand why my friends were getting in and I was the one with honors and AP courses," DePrima said.
DePrima said her grades were lower compared to her friends because of her curriculum's degree of difficulty.
DePrima, who eventually entered the university's Summer Enrichment Program, said she was told by the admissions office she was initially turned down because she was not ready for college math.
"I had the highest grade in my math class when I finished the summer program," DePrima said. "I think it will be to the student's advantage to decide what courses they can handle in high school while maintaining a good GPA."
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