The fall of 2018 marks the enrollment period for TU’s largest freshman class ever.
With the new semester underway, the classes at the University of Tulsa are filling up more than ever before. The Office of Admissions at TU has worked to bring in a slew of new freshmen to campus. From hosting campus visits to creating massive events and new media to advertise the university, the Office of Admissions reached new heights with the class of 2022. After a record-breaking number of student applications received in the spring, TU now hosts the largest domestic freshman class in its history.
The fall of 2017 welcomed a class of 662 domestic freshmen, surpassing the previous record and creating a total class of 752 new freshmen on campus. The positive trend did not stop in 2018. This past week, as of a report given on August 17, TU welcomed a new class of 733 domestic freshmen, as well as 82 international freshmen, reaching a total class size of 815 students in the class of 2022.
Reeling in 63 more students than the last major jump on the record scale is a big achievement for those in Collins.
“All throughout the spring, we heard cowbells ringing from every admission counselor as more and more students enrolled in the University,” Casey Reed, Dean of Admissions, stated.
With a “large upward trend over the last three years,” per Reed, TU is growing significantly. Prior to this expansion, Reed stated that TU “lacked brand awareness.” She explained how, globally, students were not aware of TU and how they might “assume they are unable to get into TU or afford the costs.” Reed described how, to solve this, admissions has changed their marketing efforts and how and when they reach out to students about TU. The university has also been reaching out beyond the United States, to places such as China, Africa, Europe and the UK.
This spreads the Tulsa brand not only farther, but also earlier.
“We now reach out to students starting at the sophomore level, and we really try to preach accessibility and affordability,” Reed said. There is proof of this throughout the year in the number of younger high school students attending campus visits. Although many are just available to high school juniors and seniors, TU has been seeing an influx of high school sophomores and even freshmen attending their own scheduled visits. Reed listed “strategic marketing” as a factor in their success, but also “digital marketing,” an essential tool to the office of admissions.
A plethora of emails, packed with info, links to TU’s social media, and photos and videos of everyday life at TU are sent out each week to students interested in attending. The social media and emails lead prospective students to the university website in the hopes they’ll schedule a campus visit, fill out an application to TU or both. This trend enables TU to apply a much more personal touch for the students interested, meaning visits and meetings with UAs, students or the six admission counselors recruiting regionally.
To some, the system of Admissions at TU may seem overly complicated, but with the amount of success they have been achieving, we can see it is organized and well run. Starting at the top, Earl Johnson (Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Services), Casey Reed (Dean of Admission), the individual admission counselors, campus directors and coordinators, University Ambassadors and everyone in a desk at Collins has a role in bringing in new students to TU. During high school students’ first campus or online visit, those in admissions are working to reach out and make the university accessible and affordable for them. And best of all, the positive trend of students enrolling here shows no signs of slowing down.
