Western Michigan University says the number of students applying to attend the school is up from this time last year. The enrollment office says applications from would-be in-state undergrads have risen about 20 percent; out-of-state undergrad applications have increased more than 70 percent and transfer student applications are up as well.
Associate Provost for Enrollment Management Terrence Curran says the school is seeing results from a push to recruit more students. He adds that last year’s undefeated regular football season didn’t hurt either.
“It puts the university in a situation where people take a look at you for a second time. And when they take a look at Western Michigan University they find out that we have a lot of assets here,” he says.
The university also dropped its tuition rates for out-of-state undergrads earlier this year. Curran says more of those students now see Western as affordable.
“That’s really going to make a big difference for us in terms of diversifying our student body and it will also help our graduate students. As we start graduating more undergrads our grad programs are going to benefit for that,” he says.
Curran says Western’s had, in his words, some “tough times” with enrollment in the last few years.
