A new record for the number of incoming freshmen and transfer students may be set this fall – for the second year in a row.
In the fall of 2007, 307 new students came to Baker’s campus, which was the largest incoming group of new students in the school’s history. This number includes freshmen and transfer students.
So far in the enrollment process, this year’s class numbers are a little behind last year’s but are still ahead of two years ago.
“We are able to enroll people at Baker University because people are so welcoming when they come to Baker,” Director of Admissions Daniel McKinney said. “That’s how Baker is sold.”
Already this summer, Baker has hosted 45 students for the summer enrollment days. All but one of the scheduled students attended the days. All other future students who were not able to attend have since rescheduled a day in which to enroll. Four enrollment days have already taken place, two in May and two in June.
“This summer has just run like clockwork,” McKinney said.
The scholarship days for incoming students have also been completed and three students have accepted and been named Harter Scholars, despite the fact that five students were offered the scholarship. Although the scholarship days are over, students can still interview for academic scholarships.
While many freshmen are busy enrolling, transfer students are undergoing a different process. Transfer students enroll on an individual basis to meet with their advisers, unlike the freshmen enrollment days where the students all arrive on campus at the same time. This year’s goal was to have 55 or 60 transfer students, and Baker is on track to reach that goal.
Sophomore Drew Linenberger, who worked all the enrollment days for the admissions office, said he thinks the most important part of the enrollment process for the students, is the one-on-one meeting time with their advisers.
Louise Cummings-Simmons, vice president of enrollment management, said it is difficult to judge the quality of a class at this stage. She said the admissions office has to wait to look at the quality of a group until later, but the quality of the students at the scholarship days was good.
Enrollment is now over.