Written by Aerial Whiting
Harding Admissions is ahead of last year in terms of applications received and students accepted, and the incoming class will be brighter and more service-oriented than in years prior, according to Glenn Dillard, assistant vice president for enrollment management.
Admissions is up about 1.5 percent on applications and 2 percent on accepted students, Dillard said. This contributes to the Admissions staff’s goal of gradually increasing enrollment.
Dillard said he thinks the increase is due in large part to the staff and recruiters’ efforts. Admissions has the same staff as last year, and they know the schools, youth ministers and families in their areas well.
Harding also costs substantially less than other schools, which also contributes to the enrollment increases, Dillard said.
The most significant factor in whether students choose to attend Harding, according to Dillard, is if they have visited campus.
“We have found that the majority of the students who come and visit here end up enrolling here,” Dillard said. “That’s why we host so many big visit days, Bison Daze visit weekends and Fall Previews and Winter Preview days. … They [students from outside Arkansas] see what’s here, and they meet the friendly people, and they see the beautiful campus, and they find out about academics and the spiritual values on campus and think, ‘That’s what I want.'”
The incoming freshman class is overall a smarter class than previous ones, which has been an annual trend.
“We are having a brighter student body come to Harding each year,” Dillard said.
Of the students from the 2009-10 freshman class, 144 scored a 30 or higher on the ACT, and 11 were National Merit Finalists. Dillard said that as these students apply to Harding, other students are more likely to enroll here.
In addition to being a smart class, this class has demonstrated a huge interest in service to the community and student body, Dillard said. Student Association president Bryan Clifton sent a letter this summer regarding service to about 50 incoming freshmen whom Clifton said Admissions thought would be influential when they arrived at Harding. Dillard said the response to the letter was “phenomenal.”
According to Dillard, students replied, saying, “‘I want to be involved. I want to service the student body. I want to be involved in community service; I want to do what I can to help lead the students.’ He [Clifton] was overwhelmed; we were overwhelmed with the positive response.”
