Freshmen Admits Up Nearly 15 Percent at UC

The University of Cincinnati’s trend in growing freshman enrollment is continuing at a robust pace, following tallies in early May of freshmen confirming their admission to UC. Confirmations of UC freshmen are up 14.9 percent at 5,044, compared with 2008’s 4,390 confirmations over the same time period. For the Uptown Campus, those numbers are up 12.8 percent at 4,472 confirmed freshmen and are also reflecting a growingly diverse freshman class. The expected crowds are also swelling demands for on-campus housing, which is up 33 percent.

“We have surpassed our overall target enrollment goals of our Uptown freshman that were set through discussions with college deans,” says Thomas Canepa, associate vice president of Admissions.

Among the Uptown Campus crowds are

• more domestic out-of-state freshmen compared with 2008,
• increasing numbers of freshmen from every region in Ohio (students from Columbus up 7.6 percent)
• and a 68.5 percent increase of freshmen expected from Northern Kentucky, resulting from expanding metro rates to make some UC programs more accessible and affordable to students in neighboring states.

The Uptown freshman class is also growing in diversity compared with 2008, with the number of African-American students up 11.5 percent, the number of Asian students up 28.8 percent and the number of Hispanics up 25.4 percent.

Caroline Miller, senior associate vice president and associate provost for enrollment management, says a charismatic marketing campaign, swelling college open houses and campus tours (up 25 percent over 2008) that lured prospective students to the dynamic campus, and “tender loving care” all reflect the growing numbers. “We really focused on following up with students after offering admission,” she says. “College offices kept in contact through phone calls, postcards and communications from heads of academic departments who gave prospective students additional information on programs of study and invitations to come and visit UC.”

Confirmations from incoming freshmen representing Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS) are up 21 percent over 2008. On April 30, UC hosted a special reception for 160 CPS seniors who had either been offered or confirmed their admission to UC this fall. It was an opportunity for students to meet with college advisors, complete the process of confirming their admission to UC, complete their financial aid requirements and register for summer Bearcat Bound Orientation.

Miller says UC’s state-awarded Choose Ohio First funding to recruit and retain Ohio students into the high-demand fields of science, technology, engineering, math and medicine (STEMM) and STEMM education brought about some gains in freshmen for the College of Engineering (61 awards) and the McMicken College of Arts & Sciences (20 awards). UC also offered more Cincinnatus scholarships compared with the freshman class of 2008 and is expecting 30 incoming National Merit Finalists who were awarded UC|21 scholarships that ensure full in-state tuition and on-campus housing.

In addition, efforts to bring in an academically prepared freshman class to ensure their success in college is paralleling last year’s freshman class, which was UC’s strongest.

“In 2007, we had the largest freshman class; in 2008, we had the most academically prepared freshman class; and we’re expecting our 2009 freshman class to be our biggest and best,” Miller says. “As a campus, we are proud of and humbled by the response of our market.”

UC’s Bearcat Bound Orientation for new students begins on June 29.

UC Office of Admissions