Essays to Count More in Admissions Process at Florida Universities

Black Issues in Higher Education, Jan 20, 2000

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- The state's two most selective public universities will give greater weight to personal essays now that Florida is barring race as a factor in admissions at state schools.

Florida State University and the University of Florida, each of which receive some 20,000 undergraduate applicants annually, will require essays beginning with the class of 2001. They are now optional.

The move comes in the wake of Gov. Jeb Bush's plan to replace affirmative action with a guaranteed spot at one of Florida's 10 public universities for high school seniors who rank in the top 20 percent of their class.

The board of regents is expected to approve Bush's proposal this month. Admissions directors say written statements are a valuable way of showing how applicants have overcome hardship, without using race as a factor.

"We will be looking for things that imply a disadvantage or challenge the student has overcome," says Florida State University Admissions Director John Barnhill.