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   from the issue of September 28, 2006

     
 
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Alan Cerveny, dean of Admissions, issued this message on enrollment trends in a campuswide e-mail on Sept. 19.


Continued enrollment growth remains key

As Chancellor Harvey Perlman pointed out in his State of the University address, our new freshman class increased by 289 students this fall, an increase of over 8 percent from our freshmen numbers a year ago and a 16 percent increase from 2004. In today's competitive college recruiting world, success depends upon the involvement of the entire campus community. On behalf of the Office of Admissions, I thank you for your support.

Our new student enrollment increase is only part of this year's success story. For the fifth straight year, UNL has enrolled the most talented freshman class in school history based on standardized test scores and class ranks. Even though we added nearly 300 new freshmen over last year, the average ACT score for our freshman class remained at 24.9, our highest score ever. The number of new out-of-state students is an all-time record high for UNL and represents 22 percent of our freshman class. This year's class is also the most diverse in our school's history. American students of color represent 12 percent of this year's freshman class compared to 5 percent only four years ago.

As UNL begins another recruiting cycle, we cannot afford to relax and rest on our laurels. The State of Nebraska is in the midst of a decade-long decline in the number of high school graduates. This means all Nebraska colleges and universities are competing for an ever-shrinking pool of students. Given our state's demographics, we need your support now more than ever. A serious drop in our enrollment next year, such as the one we experienced in 2004, will harm every department and office on campus. I ask you to do what you can to support our recruitment efforts. One way to help is by supporting our campus visit program. Campus visits play a critical role in a prospective student's ultimate college choice. Students and their parents form lasting impressions of UNL based on their experiences while on campus. You can make a difference with our campus visitors in small ways (e.g. a simple smile or a friendly "hello") or in big ways by offering your assistance when called on by your vice chancellor, dean, or Admissions. You can also help spread the word about the quality of your academic program as well as UNL's value and affordability.

At any given time the Office of Admissions has more than 50,000 active prospects in our database. However, I suspect there are some prospective students who have escaped our notice. If you know of possible prospects (particularly your own children, grandchildren, family friends, or relatives), I would appreciate if you would please share them with me.

Please e-mail the student's name, year in school, and mailing address to me at acerveny2@unl.edu.

Once again, thank you for your continuing support.


Alan L. Cerveny

Dean of Admissions



GO TO: ISSUE OF SEPTEMBER 28

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