Cody Helm
Peer mentors Emma Bartlett, Mitchell Moravec and Isaiah Lewis guide students around NC State's campus to point out where their classes are going to be held during Summer Session II. The tour was part of the Wolfpack Wondering event that took place on Sunday, June 25, 2017.
Every year, NC State has had an increase in the number of applications received which has caused the University to become increasingly more selective with each incoming class. The applicants are primarily first-year students, but there are also a number of transfer applications that come in every year.
According to NC State Admissions, this academic year’s total enrollment is 33,755 students which includes 4,725 first-year students. Overall enrollment includes transfer students, graduate students, graduates and distance education students. The 4,725 students admitted into the first-year class is a drop compared to the 26,733 applications received.
“Having an increase of applicants has made the NC State acceptance rate more selective,” said Thomas Griffin, director of Undergraduate Admissions at NC State.
There has also been an increase in the number of international students and out-of-state students joining the NC State student body.
According to Griffin, the percentage of out-of-state and international student population is still under the 18 percent that NC State mandates as the maximum amount of students admitted outside of North Carolina. Having a percentage is not uncommon across colleges to make sure that in-state students still have top priority.
“Admissions decisions for next year’s freshman class are still underway, but it is predicted that there will be approximately 4,500 in the first-year class and about 1,200 transfer students admitted,” Griffin said. “Early actions decisions have already been sent out, regular decision will be sent out in March, and transfers in mid-April.”
In order to maintain the large volume of applications sent in, NC State must maintain a visible presence and make information available to potential students.
“We send out information via paper mail, email and attend college fairs to continue to promote and attract students to the university,” Griffin said. “We also work with groups such as TRIO to bring students to the campus.”
Other ways nonstudents have a chance to learn more about NC State is through campus tours. There are many chances for potential students to visit the campus and explore opportunities they can participate in.
This past Friday, students in 10th grade from Caldwell Early College High School (CECHS) visited the NC State campus to learn more about what the school offers.
Ezra Proffit, a student from CECHS, said that NC State is in the running for his first choice of schools after visiting the campus.
“The first thing I noticed about NC State was one of its unique departments, nuclear engineering,” Proffit said. “I thought it would be perfect for me to start learning about my maybe future career in the nuclear engineering and technology. Afterward, I visited the campus and found out about how amazing the campus was. There was so many opportunities for learning and they give you every tool to do so.”
Engineering is the top program that students enroll in with exploratory studies and life sciences second and third, respectively.
Current students, like Ruth Parsons, a second-year studying biochemistry and Spanish, have shared similar sentiments as Proffit when talking about why they chose NC State.
“I came to NC State because of their excellent science programs that encourage students to engage and apply the material that is taught in classes,” Parsons said. “There’s a lot of opportunity to work with cutting edge biotechnology equipment as well.”
More statistics and information about the first-year class and NC State Admissions can be found on the NC State New Student Programs website.