As of April 6, the admission department received 675 applications for first-year students, up from 480 in the spring 2008. Applications from transfers, readmitted students, post-graduates and international students are also increasing.
"We continue to receive enrollment deposits each day," said Lynn Jackson, vice president for enrollment management.
Of these applications, 450 students have been admitted to Goshen College, and deposits have increased significantly from 2008. Nearly 190 deposits have been received, more than double the number of deposits received at this point last year.
Transfer applications have more than doubled from last year, with 110 applications received as of April 6. More than 45 transfer students are currently admitted, which matches records from 2008.
According to Jackson, solid recruitment numbers won't be available until after May 1 – the unofficial decision day regarding college choice. Prospective students are able to request deposit refunds up until this date, and recruitment numbers will be more concrete after that point.
Continued communication with students who visited on Celebrate Scholar Day on January 24 has been a priority for the admission office.
More specifically, of the 10 students selected Presidential Leadership Award recipients, currently seven have submitted enrollment deposits. But according to Jackson, "none of the students will be considered as official until after summer registration happens in June."
It has been more difficult to make enrollment projections in light of the current economic situation. "This year is really different from past years in the recruitment world," Jackson said. "The economy has been a concern for families that are working to make college decisions for next fall."
"We are in unprecedented times for enrollment trends," Jackson said, "and there is no historical data that can be used to predict how students will decide on colleges for this fall."
Jackson anticipates more students will ask for deposit refunds this year.
Increased unemployment rates and job uncertainty regionally and nationally has forced families to take a closer look at college choices for next year, but Jackson said that both students and parents know college education is an important investment. "They're working to make sure the student still attends college," she said.
