Attracting the best and the brightest

“We are not getting the best and the brightest. You need the best and the brightest to get your research,” laments Br. Jun.

 “Even if we have the best professors, if we are not able to get the best students, then quality wise, the production of quality graduates will be affected,” says College of Liberal Arts (CLA) Vice Dean Dr. Feorillo Demeterio III.

“We have to accept the fact that DLSU is competing with some other institutions in getting the best students,” he furthers.

Acknowledging this, Br Jun. says that the University wants to recruit the top ranking students of the DLSU College Assesment Test (DLSU-CAT).

“We are trying to attract those who rank in the top 100 or top 200 [out of the 20,000] who take the entrance exams [as not everyone who passes actually enrolls],” Br. Jun says.

He adds that one of the barriers to entry for most qualified students is the University’s perceived high tuition fee.

Director for Operations for the Office for Strategic Communications (StratCom), Johannes Leo D. Badillo says, “In [getting] Star Scholars, we invited the top students, the top 100, and we interviewed them for the program, the feedback was very positive. They were highly interested in our various scholarship programs.”

Badillo points out that the students were not only from the private schools. Some are from public schools such as Philippine Science High School and Manila Science High School. “The turnout is good and there has been positive feedback from the students,” he says.

Class-Based Society

College of Education (CED) Vice Dean, Paolo Nino Valdez believes that the quality of education in the country is largely affected by social class perception. It manifests in the misconcepted image of the University as merely an elite school. “It is a reality that education is a class-based society,” he says.

In an informal survey conducted by The LaSallian for public high school students in its September 2011 Issue, many respondents viewed the University as “elitist and unapproachable,” and shared that they might have a difficult time adjusting to the environment.

Manuel Vidal, a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry (BSBCHEM) Star Scholar currently on his second year, shares that ,“Initially I thought that DLSU was just an institution where the main focus is sports.”

When asked if the University is projecting an image that it is a place for the rich, Badillo replied, “I do not think so. [In our] communication with the parents, we say that Lasallian education is an investment. To have good education, you have to invest. That is why we convey to them [that in spite of the costs] that it is a good investment.”

Marketing a University

Badillo shares that the University has made efforts to reach out to the different regions in the country.

“We work hand in hand with the Admissions Office as with ITEO in terms of marketing to different schools in the country. Right now, there are 15 student testing centers around country and we plan to increase to 10 more this academic year.”

He explains that the University is aiming to have a total of 25 testing centers around the country; DLSU wants to increase the number of testing centers for both public and private schools.

Badillo shares that the University is planning to expand its Vaugirard Scholarship program. “We are only on its second year, but we are planning to expand. And there are more students who are taking the exam so it is a good sign.”

The Vaugirard scholarship initiative is a program that offers 50 full scholarships annually to public school students.

“The reason why we are having more scholarship programs is to get the best and the brightest, not just in the public schools, but also in private schools,” he adds.

Despite Vidal’s initial perception of the University, he shares that the school’s illustrious scholarship program offered him benefits that far outweighed those from other universities. As an aspiring doctor, he is impressed with some perks such as accelerated medical studies and career placement opportunities.

“If you give those from the public school scholars the opportunities, the support, they will be motivated to shoot up,” says Br. Jun