Record number of applications results in dramatic enrollment increases at Virginia Wesleyan
By Laynee Timlin | June 21, 2011
Academic year 2011-12 will be a history-making year at Virginia Wesleyan College in more ways than one. The College will celebrate the 50th anniversary of its founding just as it welcomes its largest freshman class ever.
When compared to the last three freshman classes, the enrollment growth in 2011 is nothing short of phenomenal. After four consecutive years of declining freshman enrollment, the current freshman tally is now 436 and, given expected growth throughout the summer, it is likely that the class will reach approximately 445 by the time classes begin in August.
This astounding surge is the result of comprehensive changes in enrollment management processes, which have attracted the attention of 4,698 prospective students this year. This represents an increase of 230 percent over 2010.
Virginia Wesleyan’s Dean of Admissions, Patty Patten, attributes this huge increase in applications to the use of refined marketing messages, e-marketing strategies, and 21st century techniques such as Facebook, smartphone applications, and other social media. In addition, Dean Patten says that her staff has doubled high school visits and expedited application processes to achieve these incredible results.
The College has also received positive national attention and many accolades recently. During 2010-11, Virginia Wesleyan was named a “green” college and a “best college in the southeast” by the Princeton Review; received a prestigious National Science Foundation Grant; completed the first phase of a series of impressive renovations to its natural science facilities; celebrated both a winning men’s basketball season (including a trip to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen) and an Old Dominion Athletic Conference championship for the softball team. It has been a great year to be a Marlin, and the excitement just continues.
The new members of the Class of 2015 will become acclimated to campus life at VWC in the next few weeks when they attend orientation—in record numbers, of course!