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UB enrolls top freshman class
Mean SAT score is highest in history
By SUE WUETCHER
Reporter Editor
This year's freshman class is the most academically accomplished in UB history, thanks in large part to a variety of initiatives across the campuses designed to encourage the top-tier students to enroll in the university.
The mean SAT score for freshmen this fall is 1193, a 14-point increase from last fall, despite a decrease nationally in SAT scores, notes Patricia Armstrong, director of admissions. Moreover, all freshmen ranked within the top two selectivity groups, based on SAT scores and high school average, as defined by SUNY's Mission Review process. Fifty-five percent ranked in the "most selective" group, while 45 percent ranked in the "highly selective" group.
"We are excited to have the most academically talented entering class in UB history," says Satish K. Tripathi, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. "We're working hard to attract the most academically ambitious students from across New York State, the U.S., and the world," he says, noting that the quality of the students has been increasing even as the enrollment continues to grow.
"The word is getting out—through our recruitment efforts, through positive word of mouth and because of the efforts of faculty and staff across the campuses—that UB is a great choice for students who are the best and the brightest, and who are highly motivated to continue to strive for excellence in all their curricular and extracurricular pursuits."
What's the secret to UB enrolling the brightest class in its history?
The recruitment effort in the Office of Admissions, as well as other units across the campus, has focused on a variety of initiatives-some new, some old standbys-that are designed to attract the top students to UB. These include more personal outreach, an emphasis on academic excellence and revitalized scholarship programs, according to Armstrong and recruitment staff from some key schools that have seen an increase in both the number of intended majors and the quality of those students. Among the initiatives:
A general university-wide refocusing on the "learning experience," which, Armstrong notes, has helped to increase the yield of top students. New programs include Discovery Seminars, which began last fall and allow students to engage with faculty on a broad range of scholarly topics and current issues, and the Undergraduate Academies, which are communities of faculty, students and staff who share common goals and interests. The first two academies—the Civic Engagement Academy and the Research Exploration Academy, began this fall. The university also recently established a University Honors College designed to create small scholarly communities within the broader research university.
Revitalized scholarship programs. UB has revamped and renamed some of the university-wide scholarship programs, Armstrong says, and established the University Honors College. In addition, students accepted to UB received an upgraded acceptance package that included an offer of admission, as well as particular scholarship information. Students received separate invitations to join the various scholarly communities. "We didn't hold back in letting them (accepted students) know they were very important to UB and we truly wanted them to come here," Armstrong says.
In the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Dean Harvey G. Stenger Jr. created a new Dean's Scholar Program this year, which brought in 25 exceptional students by offering them additional scholarship support, as well as providing a personal touch by having the dean serve as the students' faculty mentor, says Kerry Collins-Gross, assistant dean for undergraduate education. Those students also will participate in special field trips and insider visits to local manufacturing plants, and have personal interaction with prominent UB Engineering faculty, she says.
The School of Nursing, which along with Engineering is one of the few units at UB that admits freshmen as majors, targets the most high-achieving applicants by offering a Dean's Scholarship—$3,000 a year for four years—and an additional one-year Dorothy Darlak scholarship for the very top students, says Elaine Cusker, assistant dean for student affairs in the nursing school.
"We try very hard to let the best students know that nursing is looking for them," Cusker says.
Dean's Scholars also are connected to a mentor in the nursing school, meet with the dean once or twice a year, and receive invitations to special School of Nursing events, she adds.
"We not only give them a financial award, but we try to make it an enhanced experience for them," Cusker says of the Dean's Scholars, adding that "the personal outreach and the recognition that nursing has opportunities for talented students seems to make a difference" in attracting top students to the major.
Increased outreach activities. This spring, the university hosted special breakfasts and luncheons at Preview Day geared toward accepted students who were awarded merit scholarships. These events gave students and their families a chance to interact with the deans, faculty and staff from their disciplines. "That was certainly a very big plus for us," Armstrong says.
The School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences is one school that works with Admissions to stage special Preview Day receptions for intended pharmacy students, "with a heightened focus on the most talented students," says Jennifer M. Hess, assistant dean and director of admissions. These events include targeted messaging and a personalized presence from Dean Wayne Anderson and key pharmacy school faculty and staff, she adds.
The School of Engineering also works with Admissions to capitalize on these university-wide events, as well as initiating some outreach activities of its own, says Collins-Gross. For example, the school offers tours and presentations at Discovery Day, Open House and Preview Day, and ensures that faculty are in attendance to meet students.
"We also developed a one-page engineering flyer and refrigerator magnet that we mailed to select students and distributed at recruitment events," she says, adding that "we're trying to touch as many bases as we can."
"We have identified some of our distinguishing characteristics, stressing high-quality programs, outstanding faculty, a sense of community and enriched curricular experiences, and we've worked hard to get this message out there to prospective students, parents, school counselor and other constituent groups," she says.
Recruitment officials also have worked hard to increase prospective students' personal encounters with the university.
For example, the Alumni Ambassador Program has been expanded, with the number of ambassadors growing to 228—113 of whom are from out of state. Ambassadors host receptions, take prospective students and their families out to dinner, visit high schools and attend college fairs.
On another front, admissions staff pick up the phone and talk to students personally as they review applications.
"They ask if the students have any questions and if there's anything else they can do for the student," Armstrong says. "This is a real one-to-one process that has helped us very dramatically."
In the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, the personal touch is key to the school's recruitment efforts, says Hess.
"Cindy Konovitz, assistant dean for recruitment and advisement, personally meets with hundreds of prospective students and their families and offers tours of the school; it's not uncommon for Cindy to personally walk families over to 12 Capen Hall for the daily Visit UB program and campus tour," Hess points out.
The UB pharmacy school differs from many other pharmacy programs in that UB "maintains a very personalized and welcoming approach toward helping students get to know UB, the pharmacy school, the Buffalo area and all that we have to offer," she says. "When students call, they speak with people; when students visit our Web site, they find helpful and welcoming tools to help understand and navigate our programs. We personally answer every email message that we receive, offer opportunities for prospective students to shadow UB pre-pharmacy students, and provide an active Pre-Pharmacy Club and a detailed Pre-Pharmacy Listserv."
Armstrong notes that all these initiatives "have allowed us to increase the number of applications and be more selective in the students we are able to accept." In 2000, UB accepted 68 percent of applicants; this fall, less than 52 percent of applicants were accepted.
"A lot of our efforts, in addition to these new initiatives, are old things we do on an ongoing basis. It involves a lot of hard work; we're building on our successes every year," she says.
Armstrong stresses the importance of the entire UB community in the recruitment process. "This is a group effort," she says. "The Office of Admissions can bring the applications in and can bring the students to campus, but it takes the entire community for students to feel comfortable here and to be able to feel welcomed and receive the knowledge about all the wonderful things we have to offer here. That's the key to success: It's a lot of hard work by the admissions office, along with the outstanding contributions and support we get from the rest of the community."
The efforts are paying off. Armstrong points out that the goal for the fall entering class was to increase the yield of the top tier of academically talented students by 1 percent. "It's increased by a little over 2 percent this year," she says.