If you were able to skip the waiting list three years ago, you may not have been so lucky as a current upcoming freshman. Admissions standards at the University are at an all time high, making acceptance at an all time low.

Thomas Griffin, director of student admissions, said the decrease in freshman acceptance can be explained by the University’s 2020 enrollment plan, which intends on a smaller freshman class.

“We have received more applications than ever this year,” Griffin said.

Specifically, less than 50 percent of the University’s largest recorded applying class was accepted into the University.

“We’re admitting fewer freshmen because our enrollment plan calls for a slightly smaller freshman class compared to the last several years where we’ve had historically high enrollments,” Griffin said.

Although Griffin said an increase in reputation and student performance might be a result of the admission changes, it is not the motivation behind it.

“Rankings are not the first thing we think about as we are reviewing applications,” Griffin said. “Certainly the academic preparation of our students and their ability to succeed and to do well, that is really the first thing that we are looking at.”

According to Griffin, in 2001 the University admitted 65.8 percent of applicants, as compared to 52.8 percent last year, and this year, less than half of freshman were accepted to enroll.

Higher applications lead to higher standards, which lead to a competitive entrance to the University, according to Griffin.

“Given our growth in applications over the years, we are just getting more and more competitive to get in,” Griffin said. “Naturally our requirements that we are looking for are getting higher and higher.”

Griffin said that not only has acceptance dropped, application has seen a significant increase.

“In 2001 we got 11,835 applications, in 10 or 11 years we’ve seen some really big increases in people’s interest,” Griffin said.

To be specific an interest of 20,000 applicants, and the freshman acceptance rate could continue to decline. Griffin said he likes the change for the University’s academic population.

“I think that speaks well to the great product we have, it’s a great school with great students,” Griffin said.

Andrew Encarnacion , sophomore in human biology, took a positive stance toward the new admission standards.

“It creates more of a competitive environment in the University. I feel like it will motivate other students to do better academically,” Encarnacion said.

Encarnacion said while the change in admission standards could benefit the University as a whole, it could harm it as well.

“I could see it potentially hurting the diversity of the student body if the standards are so high that we are only accepting one type of person, excelling in a specific portion of the application,” Encarnacion said.

Overall, Encarnacion is pleased it might aid the reputation of the University.

“[It sends a message] that we’re trying to increase our college standings and our reputation versus other public state schools. I think the intentions are in the right place,” Encarnacion said.

Jesse Rodar , sophomore in fashion textile management, said the changes appear to be necessary, with a school just topping 34,000 students.

“We’re getting overpopulated and we have to cut off somewhere,” Rodar said.

Rodar said while so many students want to come to the University, it isn’t realistic to accept everyone.

“There are people coming here for all of the things we have to offer,” Rodar said. “We’re top in engineering, top in textiles, it is a great school.”