By Alabama Public Radio
Tuscaloosa, AL – University of Alabama President Robert Witt says he wants 7,000 more students at the University in the next eight years. Witt wants enrollment to go up from the current 21,000 students to 28,000 by the year 2013. But he says he doesn't want just anyone. Witt and his recruiting team say they're seeking highly qualified students to fill the freshman classes of the future. He calls the move quality growth. And grade point averages and test scores of incoming freshmen are getting better. Since the fall of 2002, the average ACT score for incoming freshmen has gone up from 23.7 to 23.8. The highest possible score is 36. And while officials say that's not a big increase, it does represent raising the average score of 3,000 students.