President Peter Likins has made a wise decision in calling for UA to become a more elite research institution, and an excellent initial step in meeting that goal would be tightening admissions standards for freshmen.

As it is, in-state high school graduates are automatically accepted to the university with a 3.0 GPA and granted provisional admission with a 2.5 GPA. While these standards seem reasonable for a state university, once UA's low freshman retention rates and four-year graduation rates are taken into account, it becomes apparent that not all the students offered admission are actually able to succeed at university-level work.

And this problem is magnified by the reality of the present economic situation.

Budgets are being cut. Class sizes are growing. High school graduating classes are getting larger. The approximately $2,500 in-state tuition doesn't begin to cover the actual cost of educating a student. Much of the difference comes from the state, which is in a budget crunch that doesn't look to get better until at least 2005.

This campus can't keep pace with Arizona's growth without becoming more selective.

The good news for Arizona high school students is that even if UA tightens admissions requirements, they will probably not be denied the chance to get a university education.

ASU's new president, Michael Crow, recently told the Arizona Board of Regents he would like to see his university continue to keep pace with Arizona's growth rate. With its satellite campuses, Likins believes ASU has the capability to handle this growth.

Add to the equation the improved national image and the potential influx of research grants that would likely come with a more elite student body, and an increased admissions standard could be the first step in moving UA to the top tier of public universities. And it could do so without denying a university education to qualified high school students.