5.7 Percent of KU Freshmen Entered Through Alternative Route

Nearly 6 percent of University of Kansas freshmen were admitted through an alternative process after failing to meet the school’s new and tougher standards.

The Lawrence Journal-World reports that the more exacting standards took effect this semester. A committee reviews applications from students who don’t meet the criteria for automatic admission.

The change led to concerns that minority enrollment would drop. But university data shows 47 percent of the 750 students admitted through the committee process were minorities. Among those committee-admitted students, 243 enrolled this fall, and they made up 5.7 percent of the overall 4,233-student freshman class.

Enrollment official Matt Melvin says most of the students admitted through the new committee process would have had high enough test scores and grades to be admitted under the old standards.