MU stops taking applications for fall
The cut off was initiated because of the class’ size.
Published July 9, 2008
Citing a record-size incoming freshman class, MU stopped accepting incoming freshman applications June 16 for students starting this fall semester. According to an MU news release, more than 5,860 freshmen have paid an initial enrollment deposit for the fall semester in comparison to last year’s opening day freshman count of 5,027. In the news release, Chancellor Brady Deaton said the decision was made in students’ best interests. “We have taken every step possible to accommodate the current numbers while maintaining our educational standards, and it is our judgment that we must take this action to assure quality,” he said. MU spokesman Christian Basi said it was important to administrators that as class size increased, the “balance involving housing with adequate services, as well as quality of education, did not suffer in any way.” In the lead-up to the decision, Basi said administrators looked at various options to accommodate the large class size, such as hiring additional faculty and finding additional housing for students, but that the school “reached a critical mass where we realized that this is the maximum amount of students we can take [for them] to receive a quality education with the resources we have.” The question of not accepting any more incoming freshman applications was raised several weeks ago, Vice Provost for Enrollment Management Ann Korschgen said. Korschgen said she believes it is a “convergence of issues” that led to this year’s record freshman count. “We have probably done more in our recruiting efforts than we previously have,” she said. “We sent out more literature and recruiters and the campus looks better than it ever has.” She mentioned the campus’s new residence halls, Student Recreation Complex, the work of MU’s landscaping services and the football team’s record this year as other factors that contributed to a higher number of applicants. One of the major changes to accommodate the large freshman class size was for MU to enter into a contract with the Campus View and Campus Lodge apartment complexes to offer student housing. Students have been able to sign up to live in these “extended campus” housing assignments since June 5. Residential Life Associate Director for Housing Operations Kirsten Kennedy said the Tiger Diggs learning community at Campus View is completely full while the Mizzou Quads learning community at Campus Lodge has 82 spaces open. MU has no plans to continue this particular housing arrangement past the 2008-2009 school year, according to a previous Maneater report. Korschgen said the usual number of applicants after June is between 80 and 100. Of those, about 80 percent attend MU, “so it’s a high yield,” Korschgen said. “This is fantastic that we have as many students as we do that are interested in coming to Mizzou,” Basi said. “It’s a wonderful challenge. We are going to continue to pay close attention to these numbers, and as those numbers continue to grow, we will continue to look at the policy.” Basi said MU has never had to stop accepting incoming applications before. However, in 1995, the university did create a waiting list, and deferred from taking in applications for that particular year. “We are encouraging people to think about spring semester if they are not able to get in this fall,” Korschgen said. “Because usually after December graduation there will be more available space.”