Record number applies
By HELENA PAYNE
News Editor
The Office of Undergraduate Admissions received a record total of over 12,000 applications for fall 2003 enrollment.
"One thing we do know for sure is that we have had more students visit this year," said Bob Mundy, director of admissions operations. "That's a great incentive for them to apply."
An estimated 12,040 applications makes this year's number of applications a 23 percent jump from 2002 — 19 percent more than the previous high of 10,052 in 2000. Due to the volume of applications, the Office does not yet have the final total. The regular admission deadline was Jan. 9.
Mundy said an increase in this summer's prospective student visitors was a positive sign that more students were interested in Notre Dame and would likely apply.
As seasons changed, the Notre Dame appeal was also noted by recruiters who traveled to other sites, Mundy said.
"We sensed in the fall that some of our typical events were more heavily attended than in the past," he said.
During this time, the early action applications rose 30 percent to 3,100. Just under 1,400 applicants in the early action pool were accepted.
But another critical fall factor was the Notre Dame football team's Return to Glory campaign under the leadership of first-year coach Tyrone Willingham.
"You throw in a great football season and an exciting fall with a new coach who's captured the imaginations of a lot of Notre Dame followers. … I think you can put a lot of those things together and come up with reasons for [the increase]," Mundy said.
Accepted in the early action pool and visiting the campus Monday, Kelly Wilkinson of Arlington, Texas, said she applied because of the alumni pride and the school's academic reputation.
"It seemed like there are a lot more people who actually are interested," Wilkinson said, adding with a smile that the football team's success "is a little bitty factor."
In addition to campus visits and football success, some hold that financial aid is another strong pull.
By promising to meet the financial needs of every student, Notre Dame has appealed to many students and their families, said Kathy Utz, guidance counselor at South Bend's St. Joseph High School, which draws many local students each year.
"It looks like the school is offering more financial aid to students and I think that certainly makes a big difference with the economy," Utz said, adding that the school's annual financial aid meeting for parents was more heavily attended this year.
Although St. Joseph had a slight increase in the number of students who applied to Notre Dame this year — 38, up from last year's 30 — she said, the percent increase is minimal since this year's class is slightly larger.
She noted that the increase in applications could be a larger trend. Indiana colleges such as Ball State University and Indiana University-Bloomington sent her notices that they have received more applications this year than before and that students should send in their applications swiftly.
Some believe the increase in college applications is linked to the weak economy.
"When the economy is tight, there's more of an awareness of the importance of education," said Jim Malloy, associate director of student financial services.
The current economic environment differs from just a decade ago when more Notre Dame families and students had more to contribute financially, Malloy said. However, even as the endowment has dropped, the University has kept financial aid as a priority.
"The ability of the school to say we meet the full financial aid of each student is a very solid foundation," Malloy said.
Most students do not receive their financial aid packages until March or April, but in the meantime, the admissions office review applications with the goal of sending decisions by the first week of April.
"Everything gets turned up a notch," Mundy said.
All News Stories for Tuesday, February 11, 2003
