Number of freshmen comes in below enrollment cap; economy a factor
The admissions office is trying to lower undergraduate enrollment to maintain the learning environment associated with private schools.
By Vaune Wilson
Staff Reporter

To ensure a better learning experience for students, the admissions office succeeded in capping the enrollment of the class of 2006 by tracking current admissions trends, said Ray Brown, dean of admissions.

This year, 6,135 applications were received compared to 5,822 in 2001. Of this year’s applications, 4,377 were admitted and 1,451 enrolled. The Board of Trustees approved an enrollment cap of 1,475 in January.

“Classes have gotten too big in certain colleges in the university,” Brown said.

Brown said they want to lower enrollment of the undergraduate class to ensure a small student to faculty ratio. Overall undergraduate enrollment will be at a more desirable level when the larger classes of the past few years graduate, he said.

“Fewer students in classes means more interaction,” Brown said.

While the admissions office is receiving more applications, this does not mean they are receiving more acceptances of their offers for admission. Brown said this is because more students are applying to TCU as a backup school. Brown said last year 4,187were admitted and 1,514 enrolled.

As a result of the increase in applications, a lower yield rate — the ratio of those who enroll to those accepted — occurs, Brown said. The yield rate is down about three points from last year, he said. The admission office is also receiving moreonline applications.

Brown said they wanted to keep the new freshmen class between 1,450 and 1,475 students.

Every day, starting in March, the admissions office monitors the number of deposits it receives from incoming freshmen accepting TCU’s offer of admission, he said. Then, to ensure a desirable yield rate, they admit students accordingly from the waiting list, he said.

“We offered an enormous number of positions on the wait list,” Brown said.

Originally, the admissions office planned on lowering freshmen enrollment by being more selective, said Thomas Oliver, director of freshmen admissions.

However, Sept. 11 and the subsequent poor economydeterred many potential students from enrolling, he said. Parents were hesitant to make that kind of four-year financial commitment, he said.

“We had a record year in applications,” said Oliver. “Had it not been for the economy, we’d have been in a better position to be more selective.”

According to the Institutional Research Fall 2001 Fact Book, there were 1,765 undergraduates in the Addran College of Humanities and Social Sciences, 1,558 in the M.J. Neeley School of Business, 842 in the College of Communication, 344 in the School of Education, 467 in the College of Fine Arts, 605 in the College of Health and Human Sciences, 1,145 in the College of Science and Engineering and 64 in Ranch Management.