OLD DOMINION NEARS RECORD NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS

With more than 6,300 students applying for admission as first-time freshmen, Old Dominion University could be looking at its largest first-year class in more than a decade, according to John R. Broderick, vice president for institutional advancement.

In fact, the number of applicants will probably surpass the second-highest total for first-year students in university history. The highest number was recorded in 1989 when 6,647 applications were received. The university enrolled 1,755 freshmen that year. Broderick expects first-year and transfer students to surpass 3,200 on the Norfolk campus for fall 2002.

Overall, the university's application pool for the fall 2002 semester is up more than 12 percent for on-campus freshman, transfer and graduate students. Including distance learning and international students, Old Dominion has exceeded the 12,000 mark for applications.

Among the students accepted for the fall, the University has seen a better than 40 percent increase in those admitted with distinction - students who have a minimum 3.3 high school grade point average and an SAT score of 1180 or above.
Last fall, Old Dominion recorded its highest enrollment when the institution exceeded the 19,000 mark.

"I think you can attribute these increases to a variety of factors," Broderick said. "Students are looking for excellent faculty and year after year the Virginia State Council of Higher Education validates that we have some of the best. The best and brightest students also are looking to be around other high achievers. They have noticed that ODU students are becoming Rhodes Scholars, Truman Fellows and USA Today Academic All-Americans and that our graduates are doing great things like piloting Space Shuttle missions.

"In fact, if you look at the recent list of Scholastic Achievers in South Hampton Roads, five students recognized as tops in their high school are coming here."

Broderick added that new facilities such as the Constant Convocation Center and Constant Business and Public Administration Building, the arrival of the Maglev train, and future buildings and renovations planned for the sciences, engineering, health sciences and humanities have further contributed to the excitement.

In addition, the success of the University's distance learning initiative, TELETECHNET, its four higher education centers and its Weekend College program also have played a role in recent enrollment increases.

"When you consider our main campus, higher education centers and numerous TELETECHNET sites located throughout the Commonwealth, no Virginian is more than 50 miles away from an Old Dominion education," Broderick noted.