IOWA CITY — Even with the nationally-recognized May 1 college decision day past, all three of Iowa’s public universities this year are continuing to accept applications.
That represents a change for the University of Iowa, which last year imposed an earliest-ever March 1 application deadline and waitlist — as applications poured in and projections showed the fall 2017 new freshmen total could top 6,000 for the first time. UI President Bruce Harreld — in light of limited resources and on-campus housing — had stressed the need to keep the first-year class in a “sweet spot” of about 5,400. Last year’s early deadline appeared successful, with a total new freshmen count at 5,027, down from 5,643 in fall 2016.
Iowa State also saw a new freshman dip last year from 6,325 to 5,944. Past ISU President Steven Leath, like Harreld, had urged the need to curtail soaring enrollment due to fewer state resources with which to serve the growing student body.
University of Northern Iowa, meanwhile, has been pursuing the opposite goal in response to the same decline in state support. The Cedar Falls campus wants more students, especially those from outside Iowa who pay higher tuition rates, to bump up its revenue.
But UNI, like its counterparts, saw fewer new freshman last fall — 2,000 compared with 1,834 the previous year.
None of Iowa’s three public universities would disclose how many prospective students have applied for the coming fall, been admitted, or accepted admission and submitted deposits to date.
“College admissions is a competitive environment, and we typically don’t release preliminary application numbers,” according to ISU spokeswoman Annette Hacker.
The numbers also could change quite a bit, officials said.
Because both Iowa State and UNI have long accepted applications on a rolling basis, meaning they don’t impose a deadline and continue taking applications and new deposits after May 1. Future students, in fact, can accept an offer of admission through the start of a semester.
“Of course, it’s advantageous to enroll earlier vs. later, because housing is assigned on a first-come, first-served basis,” according to an ISU spokeswoman Annette Hacker.
All three schools have reported restricted power to control enrollment — as a “regents admission index” requires in-state applicants who meet specific qualifications receive automatic admission.
Thus University of Iowa, in an attempt to exert what control it does have, imposed the early deadline last year and made its May 1 deadline the previous year hard and fast — where it had been more flexible.
The university has returned to the looser acceptance schedule, with UI spokeswoman Jeneane Beck reporting, “We will continue to take applications beyond May 1 on a space available basis following individual review of applicants.”
The UI enrollment goal is to remain on par with last year’s new freshman, according to Beck. And although none of the three schools revealed application figures, she said, UI is up slightly in resident freshman, down in non-resident freshman, and down in international students.
Iowa State Admissions Director Katharine Johnson Suski said via email her campus too wants to remain flat in new freshmen — although numbers are up a bit for the fall. Specifically, she said, Iowa State — like Iowa — is seeing increases in residential students, decreases in non-residents, and significant drops in international student applications.
ISU President Wendy Wintersteen earlier this week expressed concern about international enrollment declines during a discussion with The Gazette editorial board.
“What does that mean?” she said. “Is it part of the climate that’s out there? For us, having a strong international student presence at Iowa State is a value for all of our students.”
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