To accommodate this year’s 6.4 percent decrease in applicants Pepperdine accepted 300 more students than last year to ensure that the university meets its enrollment quota.
Dean of Admissions Michael Truschke addressed this decrease and facts about the incoming freshman class at Student Government Association’s meeting Wednesday.
“I was surprised that the acceptance has become so much larger said freshman class president Clay Karels. It seems as though the applicant pool was less competitive this year.”
This year6947 students applied for fall admission. Two weeks ago2700 students received acceptance letters for a prospected class of 855 new students.
Despite the decrease in applicants Truschke said the application pool was otherwise unchanged.
“The academic profile was virtually the same statistically … same thing with personal characteristics Truschke said. We didn’t see decrease in quality but decrease in applicants.”
Truschke said that the admissions department has taken measures to accommodate cash-stripped families.
“We’ve seen a huge increase in appeals this year Truschke said. We have contingency plans to continue to help students in that regard.”
The university awarded 26 and a half million dollars in financial aid to admitted students on Tuesday.
“We try to make it reasonable and realistic for students to attend Pepperdine Truschke said.
Furthermore, President Andrew K. Benton was able to secure an additional $4 million from the Seaver Trust Board to add to the Seaver financial aid budget.
This year Pepperdine also removed the early action option, which allowed students who applied by Saturday, Nov. 15 to receive non-binding early admission. Truschke said the economy did not influence the decision.
It affected us internally in that roughly 75 percent of our applications came in the last 10 days before deadline Truschke said. Very honestly I’m very glad we don’t have an early action program [because] … institutions never strategically define what they want to do with [them].”
Following Truschke’s briefing SGA passed three resolutions two of which were presented by Freshman Senator Bobby Hall. The first resolution transferred $3000 from the SGA general fund to the philanthropic fund which assists student groups and organizations. The second resolution granted $1800 to the Sigma Chi Run/Walk a marathon-type event where all proceeds will benefit City of Hope a cancer research treatment center in Duarte CA. In the final resolution SGA granted $150 to The Blanket Project a Pepperdine student-led project that helps the local homeless population. On Wednesday March 25 SGA granted the project $550.