'U' admits fewer students

In an attempt to avoid the strains a large incoming class would present, the University admitted fewer students this year.

Of the 21,025 applications it received this year, the University accepted 12,351 students, according to records from June 15. Last year, the University received 18,784 applications and admitted 12,826 students.

University spokesperson Julie Peterson said the decision to admit fewer students was based on last year's incoming class.

Last fall "more students took us up on our offer than we expected," Peterson said.

Peterson said the large class created pressure on housing, courses and a variety of student services for first-year students.

"We guarantee all incoming freshman students the right to housing," Peterson said. "Last fall, we had students living in lounges. It was a challenge."

Alan Levy, director of Housing Public Affairs, said at this time housing is still receiving applications for residence halls for the 1998-99 school year.

"There were concerns about available first-year classes and overcrowding," Levy said.

Last fall, many students were forced to live in lounges the first week of class and in overflow triples. Levy said over the past few years the University has stretched the capabilities of its housing.

"We anticipate no temporary housing at all and a very limited use of overflow triples," Levy said. "Both University Housing and the larger University recognized this couldn't and shouldn't occur."

Levy added the restrictions placed on returning students wanting to live in residence halls along with the smaller incoming class will ensure more space than in previous years.

Levy said overflow triples have been used for the past eight years and was always done "out of necessity."

"It was a way of handing an ever larger freshmen class," Levy said. "It was the largest freshmen class, there had never been a freshmen class that large."

In response to challenges arising from last fall's student body, the University thought they needed to adjust the size of the class, Peterson said.

"Given what happened last year, it was appropriate to downsize," Peterson said.

As space permits, the number of students accepted from the waitlist to the University will vary.

"Only a few students were admitted from the waitlist," Peterson said. "After mid-May we begin to project our enrollment with certainty."

As of June 15, 56 percent of students admitted paid their deposits. In 1997, 55 percent had paid their deposit. Peterson said the makeup of minority students for this fall's student body has not changed significantly.

"The makeup of the student body very similar to last years," Peterson said.

Peterson said the University's goal for the incoming class is to be 5,200, adding that the numbers could change before the fall.

07-13-98