Undergraduate applications to Syracuse University for fall 2011 are running 13 percent ahead of last year. This is the second year in a row that application numbers have reached record highs.
Don Saleh, SU vice president for enrollment management, says the increase is in large part due to a growing national recognition of the University’s quality. “The media and our higher education peers have increasingly taken notice of our innovative curricula and our role as an anchor institution in the community. Programs like the Bandier Program for Music and the Entertainment Industries and partnerships like Syracuse Say Yes to Education set us far apart from most of our peers. They generate excitement and energy, and people want to be a part of that,” says Saleh.
SU’s commitment to accessibility is also part of the equation. This year, the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarship Programs awarded more than $178 million in institutional grants, including enhanced aid for lower- and middle-income families. Accessibility remains a top priority, and Saleh says the University plans to intensify this commitment in the coming years.
Recruiting strategy continues to evolve as well, with a new focus on “geographies of opportunity.”
“We are engaging in regions in the United States and elsewhere where we have a concentration of alumni and partners. We are working together with these supporters to educate our students and the community, and to get the word out about the exciting work that’s happening both there and campus,” says Saleh. The L.A. Semester and the College of Law’s recent Cold Case Justice Initiative event in Atlanta are two such examples.
The current increase in applications reflects a decade-long trend at the University. Applications for fall 2001 numbered about 12,900; by 2005, applications had grown to nearly 14,300. Today, that number has just about doubled at about 25,200.
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