With an application deadline on Jan. 15, the Enrollment Division reached an historical number, besting the record set in Jan. 2018 by over 10%.
Despite the challenges of COVID, which regularly altered travel and visitation plans as well as demanded in-person, virtual, and hybrid events, the Enrollment Division approached the Jan. 15 application deadline with cautious optimism.
Applications numbers were trending in a positive direction, but until the deadline hit on Jan. 15, it is all a hopeful guess.
When the Common Application portal closed, that hope rang true as Admissions had set a new record number of applications: 10,416.
It is almost a 30% increase over the previous year and 12% above the record set in 2018 (9,237).
“In 2016 we set a goal to reach 10,000 applications by 2025,” says Greg MacDonald, vice president of enrollment management. “I love that we reached our goal early and how the entire community pulled together to make it happen. A focused and dedicated enrollment team certainly rose to the challenge, but our colleagues on campus responsible for keeping the college operating in person also deserve much of the credit.”
“While I will not append the College’s enrollment success to one number, the milestone of cresting 10,000 applications is both affirming and exciting.” adds Matt Hyde, dean of admissions. “Thanks to a dedicated and dynamic admissions team that blends heart, humanity, and hustle in their delivery of Lafayette to prospective audiences, the College is strongly positioned to accelerate its recruitment success beyond the confines of a global pandemic.”
The application pool shows an increase in international as well as tri-state students. More exciting is how students beyond traditional markets are discovering the College. Applications included over 450 new domestic high schools, illustrating the new recognition and reach of the brand. “Prospects identify Lafayette as a destination for undergraduate research, faculty mentorship, leadership development, and cross-disciplinary learning,” says Hyde.
The team now is focused on reading applications before they turn to those on campus to help yield a class through virtual and in-person events and activities.
“The team reviewing applications is dedicated to holistically reviewing these applications to identify the next leap of Leopards,” says Sue Burns, associate dean of admissions and operations. “I am appreciative of all that the entire team has done to this point, and we are ready to carry out the steps needed to get us to the date when we release decisions.”