Our admission counselors do very little recruitment travel in the spring , as most college fairs and opportunities to visit high schools happen in the fall. However the first two weeks of March saw most of the staff heading out to spread the Valpo word since we had very visitors on campus (we discouraged a visit then because current students were on spring break and buildings were locked). In some cases they were able to host receptions for their admitted students in the communities they were visiting (read story, below).
This spring, with the help of numerous VAN members, we are hosting receptions for admitted students in cities around the Midwest. What a response we've had! Whether in Saint Louis , Grand Rapids , Detroit , Indianapolis , Fort Wayne , Milwaukee , the Twin Cities , Rockford , Peoria , or Chicagoland, interest in these events has been huge. These high school seniors appreciate knowing that Valpo is coming to them to provide more information to assist with their final college choice. When current students, University staff, and VAN members are present, the image we portray is impressive. We will plan events in a few more cities this spring, sending out appeals for mingling help as we get closer to the dates. Check out our list, updated regularly, at http://www.valpo.edu/van/events/areareceptions.php#mar6
Looking purely at numbers , we currently have 3,061 admitted students (vs. 3,142 last year this same week) and 199 deposits (vs. 232 last year). But numbers don't tell the whole story. We are finding that this year's class is not depositing to multiple schools with the intent to cancel that deposit by May 1 st ; this means the deposited students we have are not in limbo but are feeling strongly about Valpo. Also, we hear from high school guidance counselors that this year's seniors are dragging their feet on committing to their college of choice. Supporting this feeling that interest in VU remains strong amongst our admitted students is the increase in the number of families attending our receptions and visiting campus. We may not have a accurate reflection of what our Fall class will look like until May 1!
Do you happen to have a Facebook account? Check out the page for VU's Admission Office. Assistant Director of Admission, Bob Zigmund (Chicago Area Representative) is our monitor. With high school students participating more and more in Facebook conversations, it was wise for our office to get involved in those discussions to help clarify information or dispel rumors.