Local opinion: New admission review process puts Arizona students first

Each year, thousands of Arizona students and their families place their trust in the University of Arizona. For many, admission represents the start of an academic journey that will shape their future, their careers, and their communities. As the state’s land-grant university, serving Arizona students is our highest responsibility and represents our commitment to educational excellence.

Our work is guided by a clear set of strategic imperatives: success for every student, advancing research that shapes the future, and engagement with our communities to create opportunity. Above all else, success for every student is our North Star.

To ensure their success, every student who is admitted to the U of A should have the preparation, opportunity and support needed to graduate and build a meaningful future. For us, it is unconscionable to have a student leave college with significant debt and no degree to show for it. Admission to the University of Arizona should lead to graduation, which is exactly why we have updated the university’s application review process.

The U of A’s core admission requirements have not changed. Arizona students who meet the standards established by the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR) continue to be admitted. In fact, this year, every Arizona student who has applied and met those standards has been accepted, and we continue to welcome applications from Arizona students who meet these requirements and wish to pursue their future as part of the Wildcat community.

Students who come to the U of A arrive prepared for the academic rigor of a top public research university. Applicants complete a defined set of college-preparatory coursework in subjects such as English, mathematics, laboratory science, social science and a second language while maintaining the required grade point average. What has changed is how we evaluate all applications, including those students who fall just outside the ABOR requirements, and that was an intentional decision to prioritize and support all Arizona students, locally and throughout the state.

The result is a new, expanded application and comprehensive review process that considers the full picture of every student’s preparation and potential. Academic performance remains central, but we now also review materials that candidates submit detailing their experiences, achievements, and aspirations.

This approach enables us to recognize promising students who might previously have been overlooked while still ensuring that those we admit are ready to succeed. It also reflects our recognition that students from rural and underserved communities may not always have access to the same academic opportunities as those from better-resourced districts and private schools. Comprehensive review allows us to evaluate all students’ potential fully.

Equally important is the work happening across Arizona to provide clear pathways to college. The U of A maintains an outreach team dedicated to every county in the state. These professionals work directly with schools, counselors, and families to help students understand their opportunities and navigate the admissions and financial aid process.

Those investments are already producing results. We are seeing an increase in students accepting admission from 14 of Arizona’s 15 counties, including Pima and Maricopa counties. We are expanding financial support for Arizona families by increasing institutional need-based aid for students. We are prioritizing access as approximately 41% of admitted students from Tucson-area unified school districts are first-generation and approximately 68% were offered merit aid.

For some students, though, the best pathway to the U of A may begin at another institution. One of our most important partners in that effort is Pima Community College, which works closely with the university to prepare hundreds of students each year to transfer and thrive at the U of A. Community and tribal colleges across Arizona play a vital role in expanding access to higher education and helping students build the academic foundation needed to succeed at a rigorous, public land-grant and research university.

Students may also pursue U of A degrees through flexible options such as Arizona Online and the University of Arizona Global Campus.

Arizona families place their trust in us to help students succeed. Strengthening admissions review, expanding outreach, and investing in student success are not priorities taken lightly. They reflect our belief that universities must be accountable for the outcomes of the students they admit.

At the University of Arizona, our duty is to ensure that every student we admit graduates and pursues a lifetime of opportunity. This commitment to a high-quality and well-rounded educational experience guides the decisions we make on behalf of our students and their future. We want our Arizona students to be Wildcats for life and make a positive impact on society.