Seton Hall has received 13,385 applications for freshman admission so far this year while last year, admissions received a total of 13,854 applications, according to Jaime de Leon II, associate director of admissions.
De Leon predicted that the admissions office will probably receive around 15,000 applications this year from first-time, freshman applicants.
According to data released by the admissions office, this years numbers reflect a trend of increasing freshman applications to Seton Hall.
In 2007, the university received 6,670 first-time freshman applications and in 2008 the number of applications almost doubled to 12,326.
"There are more high school seniors now because of population booms and students, instead of applying to only four or five schools, are now applying to 12 or 13," de Leon said.
Additionally, de Leon said more high school students are deciding to apply to college than ever before.
"Nationally, there's a trend of more students applying to more schools," de Leon said.
According to CollegeBoard.com, the number of freshman applications is rising at colleges nationwide and will probably continue to rise at least through 2010, due to a surge in births during the 1980s.
Despite the fact the number of freshmen applicants are rising, the amount of students Seton Hall accepts for admission is unchanged.
According to de Leon, the university only accepts a certain number of students and, usually, out of the number admissions accepts, approximately one in five will choose to attend Seton Hall.
"The admittance rate has been pretty steady," de Leon said, adding admissions attempts every year to enroll about 1,250 freshmen students.
"Basically, it's become harder to get in, because there are more people trying to get into the same number of seats," de Leon said.
De Leon said since admissions enrolls about the same number of freshmen students each year, current students should not be affected by the increasing number of applications at all.
"If we only enrolled 1,000 students next year, or 1,500, then, obviously there could be some problems, but if we enroll 1,248 or 1,255 it won't really make a difference," de Leon said.
Sophomore Amanda Risner said she was glad the admittance rate has stayed the same.
"This means when we graduate, the name of Seton Hall will carry some weight in the real world," Risner said.
Risner said she felt one factor contributing to the increasing number of applications is a bigger focus and emphasis on advertising the school.
"(The admissions office) does a good job highlighting the programs, both inside and outside the classroom, that enhance the students' educational and total experience," de Leon added.
According to Whitney Vitale, associate director of admissions, the number of transfer students has also increased in recent years, although not at the same rate as freshmen applications.
Caitlin Carroll can be reached at caitlin.carroll@student.shu.edu.
