The Daily Bulletin Archive

By Tony Astran

The Buffalo State campus has been predictably quiet the past few weeks during winter break. But inside Moot Hall, it’s been busier than ever.

Staff members from the Admissions Office were simultaneously preparing welcome packets for new spring 2009 students while also deciding whom to accept for the fall semester. And according to Dean Reinhart, interim director of admissions, getting in is no cinch these days.

“We’re becoming a more competitive institution,” he said. “Last fall, our first-year-student applications hit above 10,000, and our acceptance rate was 44 percent, which is on par or better than other local colleges.”

Reinhart sees a continuing boost to Buffalo State’s academic profile in the next few years, coupled with the college’s ongoing commitment to access. According to Institutional Research data, the average Buffalo State first-year student finished high school with an 86.2 average and an SAT score of 998, two of the highest totals to date.

But with conservative recruiting goals for the next few years and a greater focus on retaining current students, Reinhart said there could be fewer acceptances and higher yields. “The numbers of high school grads, particularly locally, are beginning to drop,” he said. “We slightly over-enrolled this year because we knew budget cuts were on the horizon. But it didn’t hurt our academic profile.”

Some of the recent success with boosting the academic profile can be attributed to the numerous mailings managed by the Admissions Office. Prior to an admission decision, a prospective student might receive as many as 13 different pieces of mail, ranging from open house reminders to the Buffalo State viewbook and a variety of informational postcards. In collaboration with the College Relations Office, the Admissions Office also recently began targeting junior-year high school students with a special mailing that includes a helpful timeline checklist for searching for and applying to colleges.

And the mailings don’t end there. Over the winter break, Admissions Office staff members were preparing a host of materials for accepted fall 2009 students—all while still making decisions on incoming applications and trying to help other students enter Buffalo State for the first time this spring.

Reinhart is quick to point out the many collegewide initiatives that have helped attract more students in recent years, such as the new Dean’s Scholarship, continued strong support for the Educational Opportunity Program and the All College Honors Program, nearly 100 percent accreditation of eligible academic programs, and new and renovated buildings.

But he and his staff have tried to do their part, too. More Saturday tours are offered than ever before, leading to an increase in campus visits. A recent hire (Renee Conners-Wilkins) has been trained to thoroughly understand SUNY transfer guidelines and articulation agreements, which in turn helps prospective transfer students feel more confident about making a smooth transition to Buffalo State. And, as reported in October, the Admissions Office is focusing heavily beyond Western New York to attract new students.

The Admissions Office continues to work diligently as Buffalo State’s competitiveness continues to steadily increase. But statistics aside, Reinhart said it’s hard to describe a “typical” Buffalo State student.

“What I can say, though, is that a typical Buffalo State student must be comfortable with a few things,” he said. “He or she must be comfortable with no teaching assistants in classes; a medium-sized campus; an abundance of diversity throughout campus, classes, and residence halls; and a variety of solid academic programs from which to choose.”