An overall rise in both first-year admissions and submitted applications are being seen at Keene State College, signaling a potentially healthy ecosystem for enrollment. An internal college meeting held on Monday, Aug. 18 outlined a number of unofficial statistics that indicate increased enrollment but are expected to fluctuate before the benchmark “registration plus 30 days” (R+30) deadline when enrollment numbers are officially marked.
The R+30 deadline, scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 23, marks the official number of enrolled students, which can change due to factors like accepted students failing to register for classes, changing their mind about attending or other circumstances.
The August meeting detailed unofficial statistics regarding expected enrollment numbers: 689 first-year students, 114 transfer and readmitted students, 95 graduate students (out of 120 total) and 1,077 returning students expected at the time, giving KSC a grand total of 2,775 anticipated enrollments.
According to Vice President for Enrollment and Student Engagement MB Lufkin, the R+30 deadline will solidify official enrollment numbers.
“Those are the numbers that were reported at the campus meeting, but we’re at a moment where some of those numbers are going up and some are coming down, based on what’s happening. Some students will move in and decide it isn’t a good fit, some haven’t registered for classes, and we’re really in a moment of flux where everything is changing so we have to wait until registration plus 30 to officially mark it,” said Lufkin.
Despite the uncertainty of an official enrollment headcount, Lufkin said rises in admissions and received applications suggest positive impacts of the college’s admissions and marketing strategies.
“We’ve spent a lot of time sharpening our messaging in the marketplace, so the good news is that having more applications means more people know about KSC and having more admitted students means that we have more qualified students that are applying,” said Lufkin.
Lufkin said the relaunched KSC website is one of the exciting examples of updated messaging for prospective students.
“If you’re a prospective student, it will be a lot easier to find information about Keene State and what’s available here. Three years ago, we received an investment from the Board of Trustees to put toward marketing, so that allowed us to improve some of the outreach that we’re doing,” said Lufkin.
“We’re now more heavily engaged in the platforms that prospective students use when they’re making a college choice,” said Lufkin. She added that a variety of factors can play into closing the gap between hypothetical students and enrollment numbers.
“When it comes to deposit, many factors can contribute, such as price. Whether students can afford to come here is really important, and that’s why our financial aid strategy is very important. We always try to be very conservative about the scholarships and financial aid that we’re awarding,” said Lufkin.
“Another factor is competition, and in places like Massachusetts, where we lost some ground, they are offering free community college. That means that some students who live there are choosing to take that pathway. We also have selective private and public institutions that are digging deeper into their wait lists after not doing as well as they had hoped with their first year classes,” said Lufkin.
“Even though they’re still very selective, they are digging deeper into their wait lists and admitting more students, which is another area we can lose ground in,” added Lufkin.
The rise in admissions and applications coincided with the hiring of KSC’s new Director of Admissions Sarah Russell, who succeeded former Director of Admissions Peg Richmond after 38 years of service to KSC.
According to Russell, showcasing what Keene State has to offer remains a large part of capturing interest for prospective students.
“We have seen a nice rise in interest, which is the first step we need to bring in a healthy class. The next step is not just getting them interested, but getting them to become a part of Keene State. That means things like getting people out for admitted student days, open house days and just seeing everything the campus has to offer. The admissions department has done a great job of putting these events together and giving people a chance to really see what Keene State is all about,” said Russell.
Senior Associate Director of Admissions Bert Poirier said highlighting students, alumni and college assets are an important part of the enrollment strategy.
“We’re really trying to dive deeper into converting those rising applications into enrolled students, and one of the things we really want to do is leverage the good things that are happening here at Keene State, as well as our students. At the end of the day, our greatest asset is our community, and I’m always excited to show that,” said Poirier.
Senior Gabe Arinello said he has not noticed a rise in students but said there is still a lot of energy around campus.
“I haven’t seen too much of a difference yet, but there’s definitely a lot of activity around campus. No more, no less,” said Arinello.
Ryan Pacheco can be contacted at
rpacheco@kscequinox.com
