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UGA Class of 2019 will include some of state's brightest students
Dick Yarbrough
Dick Yarbrough - photo by File photo

If you are a high-school senior hoping to attend the University of Georgia — the oldest state-chartered university in the nation, located in Athens, the Classic City of the South — you have probably heard by now whether you have been accepted.
The target enrollment for the Class of 2019 is 5,200, and they’ll all be smarter than whips.
Nancy McDuff, associate vice president for admissions at UGA, says the two most important factors in being admitted as a freshman are grades in academic classes and the strength of the courses selected. In other words, “easy as …” won’t cut it.
McDuff says: “We expect students to take advantage of the most challenging courses offered at their high schools. It is possible that a student with a 4.0 GPA who has avoided challenging courses may not be admitted while a student with a lower GPA who has attempted the most rigorous courses at their school is offered admission.” Remember, parents and students hoping to get in UGA next year: You read it here.
Leadership capabilities, strong writing, being active in school and in the community and showing growth from freshman to senior year also are considered important by the admissions staff.
McDuff says the 22,300 applications for admission to the Class of 2019 was the largest in history. I won’t bore you with a bunch of numbers but, of those who have been accepted, the midrange grade-point average is between 3.84 and 4.09, and their test scores are out of sight. In addition, these brighter-than-a-bulb kids will have completed numerous Advanced Placement courses or International Baccalaureate classes.
Back when I was actively involved in recruitment, a lot of high-school guidance counselors would sniff when it was suggested that their best students might want to consider the University of Georgia as their first choice for college. They considered UGA their backup in case a more prestigious institution turned them down. No more.
For keeping more of our high achievers in-state, much of the credit goes to Gov. Zell Miller’s HOPE Scholarship — one of the few education initiatives our intrepid public servants haven’t managed to screw up, despite their best efforts.
OK, so much for those who will and won’t get in my alma mater this year. What about those coming along behind them? McDuff says the most competitive applicants will continue to be admitted regardless of high school, county or state. Some people think the university will accept only so many applicants from a particular school or county or even within the state. Not so. There are no quotas.
There is also the misconception that if a student’s family went to UGA, that will help them get admitted. Again, not so. Legacy does not play a role in the admission process. All applicants have an equal opportunity of being admitted regardless of whether there is a family history of attending UGA.
Getting the best and brightest to attend the University of Georgia has been the singular focus of McDuff, who will be retiring at the end of June.
During her 20 years on the job, more than 140,000 undergraduates — roughly 40 percent of all living alumni — have enrolled at UGA, and probably another 140,000 wanted to. In my opinion, one of the toughest jobs in the university has been managed by one of the nicest people on the planet.
Over the years, McDuff has been lobbied, cajoled, begged and bugged to admit some friend of a friend’s child who was not otherwise qualified. She has withstood the pressure with patience and grace. As one high-school guidance counselor told me, “She doesn’t always tell you what you want to hear, but she has always been a pleasure to deal with.”
While she is looking forward to turning the pressure-cooker job over to someone else and enjoying her grandkids, McDuff says: “I will miss the people I have worked with. I take pride in knowing that our efforts have helped make this a better state.” That she has done, and done well.
To the Class of 2019: My congratulations. Getting in the University of Georgia is a lot more difficult than when I attended in the long-ago Dark Ages. But one thing will never change. Being a Georgia Bulldog is as good as it gets. Woof! Woof!

You can reach Yarbrough at yarb2400@bellsouth.net; at P.O. Box 725373, Atlanta, GA 31139; or online at dickyarbrough.com.

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