SUNY-ESF application numbers rebound following 2019 drop

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After experiencing an almost 20% drop in applications during the 2019-20 academic year, application numbers at SUNY-ESF have risen for the upcoming year.

The college received almost 2,000 freshman applications for fall 2020, an increase of 17% from the previous year, said Katherine McCarthy, ESF’s associate provost for enrollment management, in an email to The Daily Orange. 

“A decline in applications can but does not necessarily result in lower enrollment,” she said. 

Application rates for the 2021-22 academic year also increased by 13% since 2020, at 2,130 freshman applications, with students still in the process of being admitted, McCarthy said.

SUNY-ESF’s admission process remains competitive because of the school’s focus solely on the environment, which allows it to invest in resources and develop extracurricular opportunities that schools with similar programs don’t have, McCarthy said.

When application numbers dropped, ESF worked to differentiate itself from larger colleges and universities with strong environmental science programs. Growing recognition of climate change-related problems across the U.S. and globally have has more prospective college students to pursue degrees in environmental science and sustainability programs, such as those offered at ESF.

While SUNY-ESF’s application numbers continue to rise, enrollment rates across SUNY colleges and universities continue to drop. 

As of fall 2020, there were about 394,000 students enrolled across SUNY’s 64 campuses, according to its website. This is an over 5% decrease from fall 2019, when over 415,000 students were enrolled at SUNY schools. 

Though application rates have still increased during the pandemic, adjusting to a virtual recruiting process has been difficult for SUNY-ESF, McCarthy said. 

“ESF along with a few other SUNY institutions has been fortunate to be experiencing an increase in freshman applications, however, many colleges and universities are experiencing a decline,” she said. 

In an attempt to increase enrollment at SUNY-ESF, McCarthy said the college plans to implement more virtual opportunities for students to learn about the school and express interest.

More coverage on SUNY-ESF:

• SUNY-ESF works to boost number of applicants
• SUNY-ESF graduate students feel sidelined in college’s COVID-19 response
• SU alum Joanie Mahoney becomes first female president of SUNY-ESF
• What SUNY-ESF’s spring semester COVID-19 procedures are

“We have expanded our virtual opportunities to include open houses, academic and student life sessions, online tours, and one-on-one meetings with admissions and financial aid staff,” she said.

McCarthy said that while the school can recruit prospective students virtually, some aspects of in-person recruiting cannot be replaced.

“Given the challenges posed by COVID-19, at this time, our focus is very much on fall 2021 enrollment,” McCarthy said. “Going forward, we certainly hope to continue to see strong interest in the environment, recognition of the impactful academic and student life opportunities available to ESF students and the increases in application volume that can result.”