Losing acceptance

Twenty years, the place we call Penn today was a much different institution.

The bulk of its applications were sent from Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey. The student body wasn't what you could call diverse. And "The University of Pennsylvania" was a name that relatively few knew.

Now, Penn stands proud among the top in a plethora of rankings. More and more students of better and better caliber apply every year, and the school competes vigorously with the best schools in the nation for matriculation.

It is due to the efforts of many that the University has reached its current standing in the world of higher education, and that it has been able to provide the level of education that it does today.

Figures like Judith Rodin, for example, did much to pave the way for this stellar rise, and administrators like Amy Gutmann work to continue the University's growth.

But through this all - from Penn as little more than a regional school to Penn as a world-renowned institution - Dean of Admissions Lee Stetson has remained stedfast at the helm of the gatekeepers to the University.

For 29 years thus far, Stetson has seen the potential that so many helped Penn meet.

And with his guidance, the admissions department worked to improve the amount, diversity and quality of students interested in our school.

Increased recruiting efforts nationally and internationally to an ever-growing group of high schoolers proved essential in getting them to consider the University.

Clearly, these efforts have largely succeeded.

Plenty of statistics exist that speak to Stetson's accomplishments: a 16.1 percent admissions rate, the envy of schools with half our undergraduate population; ever-increasing standardized test scores and average class rankings; impressive numbers of students of color and international students applying.

Without having built such a strong and diverse set of applicants, Penn might never have reached the point it has today.

Stetson has set the bar high. And as Gutmann looks to bring Penn to "eminence," she must make sure she has a strong replacement chosen who can continue our path of improvement.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.