UP received over 2,000 more applicants than last year
By Elizabeth Tertadian
Following a five-year trend, UP's admissions office is again overflowing with applicants for fall 2010.
UP received 11,382 applications, over 2,000 more applicants than last year, making this an all-time high for applicants.
"It says a lot about University of Portland's reputation," said Jason McDonald, dean of Admissions.
According to McDonald, the increase is part of a national trend.
Due to the economy, prospective students are applying to more schools not just for options, but to seek out the best financial aid package.
The increased interest for UP is also due to the efforts of the admissions department, which hosts an annual high school counselors' program that gives counselors the "UP experience."
Around 300 high school counselors from all over the Northwest spend three days at UP getting to know the campus, faculty and programs.
The hope is that they will share this information about UP with students they believe would be interested and fit in well.
UP admissions targets mostly Catholic high schools for the program.
Additionally, McDonald credits the good communication they keep with prospective students as a contributing factor to the increase in applications.
According to Laurie Kelley, chief marketing officer, UP has really improved its image through public relations.
Almost weekly, she said, stories in the news are featuring things occurring at UP, or showcasing UP professors as experts in a field.
"UP is not a well-known secret anymore," McDonald said.
He sees the increase as reflective of UP as an esteemed school, a reputation that continues to grow as applicant numbers increase.
Rising applications makes the admission process more selective and competitive.
According to McDonald, UP used to accept 85 percent of applicants.
He estimates that the University's acceptance rate will be near 45 percent this year.
"As we bring in more qualified students, it makes UP more prestigious," McDonald said.
Although the increase showcases UP's growing popularity, the number of new Pilots will remain relatively the same as this year's freshman class; small.
The admissions department is looking at class size of around 810 for next fall.
The tight-knit community is part of UP's charm and what draws people here.
That's what we sell - personal interaction with staff, said McDonald.
