Univ. goes far and wide in search for new students

Applications for enrollment to the university are up again this year, a slight increase from last year's numbers, which Undergraduate Admissions Director Shannon Gundy once described as "ridiculously high."

The overall applicant pool is up 1.5 percent, she said, with out-of-state applications up 2.2 percent and in-state applications down 1 percent. As of the Dec. 1 priority deadline, overall, there have been 23,842 applications. Last year, there were 23,570 at the deadline.

"We worked really hard to increase our numbers," Gundy said. "We've been recruiting hard out of state, and it seems that it paid off."

National and international recruiting efforts have increased, Gundy said, and as a result of goals laid out in the strategic plan to recruit a more diverse student body and "dramatically intensify" recruitment efforts.

Recruiters have always traveled across the country to attend college fairs, high school information sessions and meetings with high school guidance counselors, Gundy said.

This year, however, university admissions representatives made stronger attempts to recruit outside of New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, according to Senior Admissions Counselor Christopher Brown. For the first time, recruiters traveled to Arizona and Minneapolis and gave extra attention to recruiting in Atlanta, Denver and Los Angeles, Brown said.

"We've tried to increase our notoriety among students from other parts of the nation, expanding to areas where we usually don't travel," he said. Brown also said recruiters send personalized messages and reminders to memorable students after each visit, attempting to make the application process more personal.

Both Brown and Gundy said they are not resting easy just yet. With the weakened economy, getting students to choose the university remains their top priority.

"Converting an admitted student into an enrolled student is our main concern right now," Gundy said. Spring open houses, increased alumni involvement and one-on-one meetings between prospective students and student services representatives are vital to ensuring a high enrollment rate, she said.

"They can really get a good feel for whether or not this is where they want to spend the next four years of their life," Gundy said.

Brown said he expects to see the economy take its toll on enrollment, a trend that has already started.

"You'll see a much larger number of people enrolling in community college - even if they got into the university - and then transferring after two years," Brown said. "That's reality in general."

He added that having more applications does not necessarily equate to a more competitive application pool.

Still, admissions officials hope the university's standing as a "Best Value in Public Colleges" in Kiplinger financial magazine's rankings will help keep students interested. The university ranks No. 9 for its in-state tuition and No. 13 for its out-of-state tuition.

"In tough economic times, it seems students may be looking for the best value," Gundy said.

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