The university decreased the percentage of students admitted this academic year, dropping its acceptance rate from 63 percent in 2006 to 49 percent in 2007, the dean of admissions said.

Ray Brown, dean of admissions, said the decrease in the acceptance rate is a reflection of the increase in applications and expects the acceptance rate to decrease again next fall. The spurt in applications came from students ranking below the top 10 percent of their high school graduating class, Brown said.

This may be in part due to a Texas law known as the “10 percent rule,” which guarantees students who graduate in the top 10 percent of their high school class automatic admission to state universities, he said. About 30 percent of the 2007 freshman class ranked in the top 10 percent of high school graduating classes, according to admissions data.

Of 11,888 students who applied for admission last fall, 5,812 students were admitted, according to the 2007 TCU Fact Book. In 2006, the admissions office issued acceptance letters to 5,442 students out of 8,677 applicants.

“If you can lower your admission rate one or two points a year, that’s pretty good, so for us to drop 14 points in one year is a stunning move,” Brown said.

Of the students admitted to the university last fall, about 28 percent enrolled, according to admissions data.

TCU has the third lowest acceptance rate among Rice University, Baylor University, Southern Methodist University and University of Texas at Austin, according to their Web sites. As to the proportion of freshman students who ranked in the top 10 percent of their high school graduating class, TCU ranks last among the four, according to the university’s Web sites. The freshman class academic profile, which describes grade point average, class rank and test scores, is showing improvement slowly, Brown said. The fall 2007 freshman class has an average class rank in the top 22.66 percent of high school graduating classes, the best average class rank in TCU history after the fall 2006 freshman class, which ranked in the top 22.46 percent, he said.

For the majority of applicants, the transcript is the most important element in a student’s application, and about half of what the admissions decision is based on, Brown said.

“The transcript is the most important because it tells us not only the classes that you’ve taken and the grades that you’ve posted, but it also tells us the rigor of the courses that you’ve taken,” Brown said. “If there are honors or AP classes available in your school, we expect to see some of those on your transcript.”

SAT scores constitute 20 to 25 percent of the admissions decision, and the rest is determined by extracurricular activities, letters of recommendation, the essay and the interview, Brown said.

The university also considers attributes such as ethnicity, legacy status, place of residence, religious traditions and special talents, but they do not carry a particular weight in the admissions decision, Brown said. The purpose of taking these attributes into account when evaluating applications is to increase diversity and expose students to different experiences, he said.

“We act affirmatively on people’s applications based on things other than grades and test scores,” Brown said. “If you happen to be a world-class trombonist, then we’re going to act affirmatively on your application if your academics fall below what would normally be considered our standards.”

Many factors play a role in students’ increasing interest in TCU, and among them is the price, Brown said. At $33,918, TCU offers a reasonable price tag for a private education, especially in comparison to similar schools in the Northeast and West regions, he said.

Jean Wall and Neil Culhane, two visiting high school counselors from Florida, said TCU is moderately priced for a private university. Culhane said the cost of attendance at TCU is a “good deal.”

Brown said the campus and the students make a positive impression on visitors. Many prospective students also find university athletics appealing, he said.

“We get a lot of notoriety from the university’s exploits on the gridiron,” Brown said.

Some students place too much importance on college rankings when applying for college, but rankings are not a good indicator of whether a university is a good match, Brown said.

Cara Smith, a freshman political science major who was admitted to three Ivy League schools, said TCU is a good fit for her.

“I wasn’t trying to pick a school just for a name,” Smith said. “I like the environment at TCU.”