The McIntire School of Business carries with it prestige and an aura of excellence not uncommon to that carried by the University as a whole. However, the "Comm School," as so many students have come to know it, has somewhat of an added distinction. Currently ranked as the number five undergraduate business school in U.S. News and World Report, it is known by professionals as a breeding ground for future successful businessmen and women.
By University students, it is somewhat enviously known as the school containing students who are most likely to graduate with a job lined up before they leave the University.
Due to the prestige and success associated with the Commerce School, it's somewhat perplexing to find that there was a significant 16 percent drop in the number of applicants this spring. While 486 College students applied in 2003, admissions officials only saw 408 applicants this year.
Rebecca Locke Leonard, assistant dean for student services at the McIntire School of Commerce, said that this is not an uncommon occurrence, nor is it a cause for alarm.
"If you look at the data, you will see that it is very cyclical in nature," she said.
Leonard explained that the data regarding applicants is often represented by repeated rises and falls that balance each other out in the end. These shifts are usually caused by several factors, including the state of the economy. The number of applicants in 2003 was unusually high so it is not surprising that 2004 brought the beginning of a decline. Because of the exceedingly high numbers in 2003, admissions were only able to accept a low 64 percent of applicants.
"As a result of last year, a lot of students self-select and don't even apply thinking they won't get in." Leonard said.
Acceptance into the Commerce School is based upon several aspects, including extracurricular activities, course load per semester and grades in prerequisite classes (including often the most feared and dreaded -- financial accounting).
Second-year College student Ashlie Clifton said she made her decision not to apply this spring after taking COMM201, Introduction to Financial Accounting.
"Definitely after taking accounting I realized that it wasn't for me," Clifton said. "I just didn't enjoy it. There was other stuff I was interested in too, and I figured why keep on going."
She added, "I think it's definitely a class to weed people out because it's hard and it is one of the tougher majors in the Comm School."
While other students who decided not to apply this spring may share Clifton's sentiments, third-year Commerce student Sol Eskinazi discouraged pre-Commerce students from dismissing the school based upon its prerequisites.
"I think it's bad that people think of the Comm School as a continuation of financial accounting because it's not," Eskinazi said. "I think making this new class COMM180, 'How Business Works,' is a good move from what I know of it. I recommend that the Comm School either add to or replace COMM201 with an intro strategy class or marketing class. Strategy and marketing are different fields within the Comm School that pre-Comm students never get to experience."
The "How Business Works" class is a course available to non-Commerce students through the McIntire School in an attempt to more realistically introduce students to the Integrated Core Experience (ICE), which comprises the Commerce curriculum.
"Many people have the perspective that once you get in the Comm School you take only business classes, but that's not the case," Leonard said. "Commerce students take a number of electives outside of the McIntire School."
McIntire has introduced several interdisciplinary classes such as "Environmental Choices," which is cross-listed with commerce, religion and environmental science, and "The Business of Saving Nature," cross-listed with commerce and environmental science (which includes a trip to South Africa). These interdisciplinary courses give non-Commerce students with other interests, like Clifton, exposure to business as well.
An additional resource for non-Commerce students who wish to get a taste of business fundamentals and management is the McIntire Business Institute. Previously only offered after graduation, the MBI now is offered to third-year students on Fridays during the academic year and over winter break.
The Engineering school, which has received a high demand from students for business classes, has introduced its own business minor which includes courses from the Commerce School.
"I think these are excellent initiatives because there may be good students who don't want to do the two-year business program," Leonard said.
Although these options allow students at the University to obtain a degree in the liberal arts while still gaining some knowledge of the field of business, Commerce students themselves often are reluctant to tell potential applicants to pass up the opportunities that the McIntire School can provide.
Third-year Commerce student Chessy Soccoli described many of the perks, privileges and advantages to being a Commerce student at U.Va. First and foremost, there are no Friday classes.Additionally, Commerce students enjoy free food and a Comm School happy hour once a month attended by both students and faculty.
On a more serious note, Soccoli said the widely available teachers, state-of-the art computer labs and extremely connected career services center are exclusive to the McIntire School.
While there are undoubtedly many persuasive reasons to apply for admission into the elite Commerce School, there inevitably will always be those students who choose otherwise. With the addition of classes combining liberal arts disciplines with business perspectives and programs providing business education outside of the Commerce School, the University has offered students a variety of alternatives.
Leonard is not worried about the decrease in applicants and the consequential predicted 75 percent acceptance rate this spring.
"75 percent is probably where we want to be," she said.
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