Freshman applications at all-time high
Members of the class of 2007 participate in one of many activities offered during the recent Freshman Welcome program.
As Montclair State bids farewell to the class of 2003, it
already has begun welcoming the class of 2007.
For the first time in the University's history, first-time, full-time
freshman applications exceeded 8,100. Less than 50 percent of those applicants
will be accepted, which, according to Admissions Director Dennis Craig,
will yield a new freshman class of around 1,550 students. This will represent
about a 5-percent increase over last fall's class, meeting the University's
goal of increasing class size by 5 percent each year.
"We are well on our way to our goal of 18,000 students by 2008,"
Craig said.
The incoming class also represents a wider geographic range than in the
past with applicants coming from 28 states, the District of Columbia and
every county in New Jersey. "The ad campaign has really helped in
that area," Craig said. "This year Montclair State expanded
its advertising to Middlesex, Mercer and Monmouth counties, and applications
from those counties were up 20 percent."
Craig said the ad campaign was followed by college fairs,
high school visits, and admissions receptions in Monmouth County.
The addition of alumni to the Admissions staff and the creation of a new
program that enlists the help of volunteer alumni to help spread the word
about the University also have made an impact. "Our recruitment effort
has been successful," said Craig. "The staff has done an excellent
job."
The class is not only strong in numbers, but in quality as well. The group
ranks, on average, within the top quarter of its high school classes and
has an average combined SAT score of 1103. Within the group of accepted
students are 282 Edward J. Bloustein Distinguished Scholars.
Transfer student applications also are up about 9 percent over last year,
with Admissions processing about 2,600 applications. Craig said he expects
the University will accept about 1,600 of those applicants and enroll
a class of 1,060.
Craig attributes part of the increased interest in Montclair State to
a recent program on the new SAT that brought 130 high school guidance
counselors to campus. "They had a chance to see the campus, and hear
about new programs and initiatives," Craig said, adding that he hopes
to have some type of professional development opportunity for counselors
on campus each year.