UT raises standards for admission

The University of Tartu has has re-evaluated its resources and will reduce the number of student openings by more than 25 percent, making admissions more competitive.

The admissions standards support the university council's goal of raising academic quality and improving the academic caliber of those that get in.

The planned move was originally announced last autumn by rector Alar Karis, emphasizing that the university's aim was to work with people who are willing and able to study.

The dean for academic affairs, Martin Hallik, said the university is not taking its resources lightly and has to focus on quality of academics. "Our primary goal is that every student admitted would receive enough attention, and it seems that the numbers of places now set out by the university are a better reflection of the reality," he said.

Tartu had a capacity for admitting 8,647 new students last year, but this year the figure is only 6,373. The cuts mainly affect students who pay their own way, while on the other hand the number of state-commissioned places has increased in the school of economics as well as the faculty of law.

Anneli Miljan
UT Press Representative
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