Applicant rates rise 13 percent for incoming class: Mirrors trend of increased interest in SUNY schools during slump
The number of applicants at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry has increased 13 percent for the 2009-2010 academic year from last year, said Susan Sanford, director of admissions and inter-institutional relations at ESF.
The number of applications submitted increased by 18 percent from the 2007-2008 school year to the 2008-2009 school year, she said, indicating an increasing trend in the number of applicants.
Forty-one percent of students were accepted for the fall 2009 semester, an increase of 1 percent from last year, Sanford said. There are currently an estimated 100 students waitlisted for the 2009-2010 academic year, though that number will increase, she added.
The increased interest from applicants is part of a growing trend of applications to SUNY schools. About 440,000 students enrolled in SUNY schools in the fall of 2008, an increase of more than 12,000 students from the previous year, according to SUNY officials. However, a decline in state funding and a deficit in the New York state budget caused Gov. David Paterson to raise SUNY tuition 14 percent in January.
Interest in ESF is a result of the school’s extra effort to recruit nationally, Sanford said, as well as an increased interest in environmental issues and related careers.
Some applicants who were denied admission to the school were offered the option of guaranteed admission one year later if they fulfilled specific SUNY requirements at another school, Sanford said. They can then transfer once those requirements are satisfied.
Sanford also said a highly competitive applicant pool requires the school to focus on students with a strong background in college preparation. In addition, ESF’s admissions committee seeks college-ready students, she said, with an average entering GPA of 3.7.
‘Acceptance into SUNY-ESF is heavily dependent on more than just a high GPA in high school, but also college prep experience,’ Sanford said. ‘The applicant must be involved in Advanced Placement classes as well as honors classes that specialize in math and science courses in order to be on the same competing level as other applicants.’
Currently, the undergraduate class at ESF has an estimated 1,600 undergraduates, 310 of whom are freshmen. There are also 568 graduate students enrolled, according to the College Board Web site.
The difference in tuition at ESF compared to alternative private universities has contributed to the increasing numbers for projected SUNY enrollment, Sanford said. Predicted cost of attendance for the 2009-2010 school year at ESF is $28,500 – a little more than half of Syracuse University’s 2009-2010 estimated cost.
Published on April 1, 2009 at 12:00 pm
