A new technique has been developed for admitting new freshman students at the University of Washington. Previously, an Admissions Index (AI) was used, in which the high school grade point average (HSGPA) was assigned twice the weight of the composite verbal and quantitative scores from the Washington Pre-College Test Battery (WPC). To offset the variability in grading practices from high school to high school, the Alternative Admissions Index (Alternative AI) was developed. The Alternative AI assigns equal weights to HSGPA and entrance examination scores. This index can be computed using scores from the WPC, the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), or the American College Testing Program examination (ACT). The Maximum Alternative Index (Maximum AI) has also been developed. Both the original AI and the Alternative AI are computed; the maximum of these two scores is then used for the admission standard. Implementation of the Maximum AI would probably qualify 25 to 100 additional applicants (a 2 to 4% increase) for admission to the freshman class. Several tables present statistical data on the AI's of those applicants who were accepted and of those who were rejected. (Author/GDC)