Early college enrollment signs suggest a rebound this fall

On a sunny afternoon, Fantasia Perez, a senior at the University of Southern Maine, led a small group of interested high school students around the college’s tree-lined campus. Classes ended in May, but Perez was busy showing off the school to potential students; talk about favorite spots, from dorms and dining rooms to the steep hills used for sledding in winter.

“I want to warn you that there are trees,” Perez told the students. “So don’t sledge into the trees!”

In recent years, nearly 90% of the University of Southern Maine’s students were from the state. But in recent months, early deposits by overseas students across the state’s university system have increased by nearly a third.

“Last semester we had people from Alabama, California,” said Perez. “I think I’ve actually sent letters to students all over the country.”

The college says it is now well on its way to showcasing the largest freshmen class in its history this fall.

Fantasia Perez, a senior at the University of Southern Maine, is conducting a tour for interested students on the school’s campus in Gorham, Maine.

It’s a somewhat surprising trend – especially after a year in which college enrollments have declined by nearly 4% across the country. David Hawkins of the National Association for College Admission Counseling said expectations weren’t much better for this fall.

“The bar was set so low,” said Hawkins. “There was so much pessimism.”

But, he added, the numbers of early deposits this year suggest nationwide that enrollments may rebound.

“At the college level, there seems to be some optimism that students will return,” he said. “The earnings numbers – the number of students who have accepted admission offers – are pretty healthy this year, which has surprised many institutions. And honestly, [it’s] surprises us too. “

In Maine, university officials increased their outreach efforts last year to reach new students. University Chancellor Dannel Malloy said the state is also being strengthened by generally low COVID-19 numbers, which allowed universities to stay open over the past year while colleges in many other states remained remote.

“That worked in our favor. And it told the story that Maine did a good job in general and that we were ready to respond, ”Malloy said.

Administrators caution that the numbers are not final and are subject to change before the first day of class. But in Maine officials say that if the trend continues, more young people of working age could be moved to a state with the oldest median age in the country.

Ava Martineau from New York will be a new freshman at the University of Southern Maine. She said she could well imagine staying in the quieter confines of the state after college. For now, she’s just happy to know that she will see her teachers and classmates in person next fall.

“I did almost all of my senior year online, with the exception of the five weeks we had in person,” said Martineau. After more than a year of distance learning in high school, the last thing she wants is another year online.

source https://collegeeducationnewsllc.com/early-college-enrollment-signs-suggest-a-rebound-this-fall/