BELLINGHAM - A record number of freshmen have applied to attend Western Washington University.
University officials were surprised by the increase, given that they had moved the deadline for fall quarter from March 1 to Jan. 31. (Universities are doing so in order to notify students earlier.)
Although the deadline has passed, applications continue to trickle in to the university for the estimated 2,800 freshmen spots for the fall quarter.
A total of 9,650 applications have come in for fall 2012 so far, compared to 9,083 for last fall - a 6.2 percent increase.
"We're really pleased to see the increase in interest," said Clara Capron, the university's acting director of admissions and director of financial aid.
Western also has seen a 5.9 percent bump in the number of Washington state residents applying for fall and an 8.3 percent increase in non-resident applications - compared to the same period last year.
More minorities applied as well, a 13.8 percent increase to 3,056 applications.
"We have always provided outreach to first-generation students. Many first-generation students are students of color. We visit area high schools not only in Whatcom County but throughout the state of Washington," Capron said of students who are the first in their families to attend college.
She said the university helps these students understand the admission process as well as the financial aid process.
University officials provided a host of reasons for the all-time high in freshmen applications. Among them, they cited academic excellence, personal attention given to students, respect for diversity and the area's beauty.
"We are able to give students the attention that they need, and want, to succeed," Capron said.
Another factor is the cost of attending WWU, with officials saying that they're trying to keep down costs as much as possible without hurting academic quality.
"I think the fact that our tuition is lower is a major factor," Capron said. "We do have a really excellent reputation. I think students are responding to us as one of the most affordable schools in our state."
Undergraduates who are residents pay $7,758 in tuition and fees to attend WWU for the 2011-2012 school year.
Compare that to $10,574 for the University of Washington in Seattle and $10,798 for Washington State University in Pullman.
Kiplinger's Personal Finance has ranked WWU as one of the top 100 best values for public universities in the nation.
The magazine ranked WWU 81st in its February issue for Best Values in Public Colleges for 2012.
WWU has appeared on the list multiple times. It was ranked 54th in 2010, and 56th in 2009.
Kiplinger's ranks colleges for both in-state and out-of-state costs, average student debt at graduation, availability of financial aid, class size, student-faculty ratio and other academic quality and financial considerations.
WWU, like other colleges in Washington, has raised tuition sharply because of cuts in state funding.
Resident undergraduate tuition went up 16 percent for this school year, and will increase another 16 percent for the 2012-13 school year.
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