Approaching the end of the 2017-18 academic year, NC State admissions and the university are preparing to welcome the new additions of the class of 2022 and transfer students in August.
According to Thomas Griffin, the associate vice provost and director of undergraduate admissions, the applications for the upcoming class mark major milestones and growth for the community at NC State.
“Applications are about 13 percent higher than last year, which was a record year also,” Griffin said. “The count as of today is 29,755, and that is for freshman applicants. … Transfers are a big part of the incoming class as well. We have 4,581 transfer applications. Those are up almost 10 percent. So [transfer applicants] are up in numbers from last year.”
Even though the applications have risen from last year, the admittance numbers are similar to the class of 2021.
“We are going for right at 4,500 first-year students that we are hoping to enroll,” Griffin said. “Then we are going for just 1,800 transfers. Both of those numbers for incoming students are very close to what we had last year. The freshman target is just slightly below where we were last year. [The impact] will be around the same as last year. We are in a huge growth mode for undergraduates.”
These future members of the Wolfpack went through a long application process where several aspects of a student’s academics and activities from high school were evaluated based off their applications and essays.
“There are many, many things that go into decisions,” Griffin said. “The starting point is the academics of the student, looking at their high school grades, courses, class rank and then standardized test scores. Beyond that, we look at what academic program they are applying for, what major or undecided program and everything else they bring to the table in their activities and essays and short answer questions. We are not just trying to admit based on the highest test scores or highest class rank, there are many factors that go into play.”
Current students such as Giovanny Hernandez, a first-year studying math education and mathematics, are excited to see the impact that the class of 2022 will have on NC State’s campus.
“The new class will bring culture to the campus,” Hernandez said. “I can learn new things from them and be influenced by them because they bring in more insight. In a way, we can learn from them. They will impact the housing and crowds in places like the gym, but they will make a difference.”
From the perspective of admissions, the future of NC State is surrounded by the idea of growth and diversity. North Carolina students are also more likely to choose NC State than any other school in the state.
“Applications continue to grow,” Griffin said. “We have continued to attract more North Carolina students than any other school. We are getting lots of North Carolina students to apply. Out-of-state and international numbers of applicants are strong also. Things look very bright for the level of competition for the incoming class.”
A recent update in maintaining steady numbers for first-year students throughout the year is a program called Spring Connection, which is returning for its second year. This program offers students that applied for the fall a chance to attend NC State in the spring semester to fill in the spots of first-years that may transfer or drop out after the first semester.
“This allows us to accommodate even more good students that have applied,” Griffin said. “We are keeping the size of the first-year class the same for the fall by adding in some students in spring. This past year, we had almost 400 Spring Connection students that started this semester. It proved to be a very popular option.”
Incoming students can get their first glimpse at life as a student at NC State when they come for orientation during the summer. Incoming first-year students have a two-day orientation that is separated by degree program or college. Transfer student orientations only last one day and international students have their orientation closer to move-in and class start dates.
The new class of 2022, along with transfer and international students, can move in to their campus living spaces, learn more about the NC State community, attend convocation and come out for events and socials around the University during Wolfpack Welcome Week from Aug. 11-19, before classes start on Aug. 22.
