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.

In the past, the Connections program was available to new students once they arrived at TCU. However, starting this fall it will be a mandatory program, which is not necessarily a positive change for incoming freshmen.

Connections is a program that aims to help freshman students prepare for a successful college career. The nine-week program is facilitated by upper-class students and faculty mentors who lead discussions and offer helpful tips for freshmen.

I was appalled by a conversation I overheard in class Tuesday. Two women were discussing why one of them had the Wall Street Journal on her desk. She said it was for a class, and went on to complain about how ridiculous it was for her professor to expect students to read it every day. The other woman actually sounded relieved, saying how it would be weird if she read it on her own.

And this was even in a class required for journalism majors.

I was amazed.

A few mornings ago I logged onto the Internet, checked my e-mail and my banking account and braced myself for the thing I dread most about my mornings: logging onto CNN.While I feel the intense need to...

Congress' decision to remove its financial aid advisory panel will harm TCU's financial aid programs, a financial aid director said.

Deep in the fine print of a bill regarding the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act is a new rule that will eliminate the 20-year-old Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance in three years.

The Lady Frogs basketball team reached two university milestones Wednesday with its 400th victory and 12th conference win on the season, beating the Air Force Falcons on senior night.

The win over the Falcons (10-17, 4-11) was TCU's 12th Mountain West Conference win of the year, beating last year's team record of 11.

Connections will be a mandatory program for incoming freshmen next year in an effort to improve freshman retention rates, said an assistant dean of Student Development Services.

According to the 2007 TCU Fact Book, the university lost more than 15 percent of freshman students. Carrie Zimmerman, assistant dean of Student Development Services, said this is a sign that there are programs that can be improved.