Over 18,000 applications for the fall 2024 semester, marking a 40% increase from last year and an all-time high for the university.
A total of 18,860 students have applied to enroll for the fall semester so far. A majority of these applications are for the Big Rapids campus, but Kendall College of Art and Design has also seen a spike, a 47% increase from last year.
According to Enrollment Services, the only areas that haven’t experienced a spike this year are the statewide hubs, which have had a nearly 20% decrease in applications.
Dean of Enrollment Services Kristen Salomonson said a variety of new changes were implemented this year that have contributed to these application changes.
For one, October was deemed “application month.” During this month, Enrollment Services hosted a variety of social campaigns and contests and had recruiters throughout the state to help spread the word about the free application.
This is also the first year Ferris and Kendall were available on the Common Application, a service that over a million students nationwide use to apply for undergraduate programs. Salomonson said they’ve received a large number of applications from the Common Application, especially for Kendall.
Hotlines were established early in the fall semester for students to ask questions and get application and financial aid help. Salomonson said it was important to ensure students could stay up-to-date with what was happening with financial aid and FAFSA changes.
According to Associate Vice President for Marketing and Communications David Murray, Ferris focused more on telling the stories of Ferris students and the opportunities the university has to offer.
Murray said they’ve been working closely with the other colleges and departments across campus to learn about faculty, programs and students. To help get these stories out, they’ve increased their number of press releases and social media posts.
“I think more people are becoming aware of the opportunities Ferris State University provides,” Murray said. “The more people learn about Ferris State, the more they understand the tremendous programs, expert faculty and support systems that are available to them.”
Murray thinks getting the word out about the high placement rates for many of the programs at Ferris has also increased interest in the university and helped application numbers.
Since many changes have happened this year, it’s unclear what caused the increase in applications. Both Salomonson and Murray agreed that getting the word out about what Ferris has to offer has helped and is something they will continue to focus on.
“While we can’t call one year a trend, we’re doing everything we can to make sure that we continue at this level and then beyond that for next year,” Salomonson said.
Current and incoming students are encouraged to look on Scholarship Universe for available scholarships in preparation for the upcoming fall semester.
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