California. Puerto Rico. Washington State. These are areas that would not normally be associated with Fairfield University students.
The university has targeted students from such areas, leading to an increase in the number of applications for the Class of 2010 from such places, officials said.
In an effort to diversify the student population, the admissions department has worked to increase awareness in these areas.
“We view the enhancement of the geographic diversity of our student body as an integral part of our larger goal of enhancing the overall diversity of the student body,” said Director of Admissions Karen Pellegrino.
The number of applications for Puerto Rico alone jumped from 15 to 45 in one year. The change is consistent with a trend that has seen the number of students enrolled from U.S. territories jump from four in 2000 to 11 in 2005, according to the university Fact Book.
Fairfield has paid particular attention to California where the number of applications has increased from 70 to 113 in five years, said Pellegrino. Washington has also increased from eight to 18 applications.
According to Pellegrino, the university has been mailing information to select regions outside the New England, New York and New Jersey areas.
This is part of a coordinated administrative effort to diversify the student body, both racially and otherwise.
“In some states the increase in applications has been beyond the overall increase; in others, it has been the same or slightly less,” said Pellegrino. “There is no pattern to the increases in the applications from individual states.”
The university has also attended college fairs, visited high schools and teamed up with other Jesuit colleges around the country. However, the Internet might be the single most important tool in generating interest.
“More than half of all students who applied for the fall ’06 semester applied online compared to 35 percent from the previous year,” said Pellegrino.
Many members of Fairfield’s faculty thought that increasing the number of students from such areas will benefit the school.
Spanish professor Maria Dever said, “I think it will increase the overall richness of the student body and provide a tremendous resource.”
Philosophy professor Dr. King J. Dykeman said, “The more diversity we have, the closer we get to what the student’s call ‘the real world.'”
Current Fairfield student and OPS teacher from Puerto Rico Tatiana Machado ’08 said, “I think what interested me the most about the school was that it was a small school and I would not have just been one more number in a classroom.”
Joe Sullivan ’09 of Indiana said his troubles from September have faded.
“It was a bit of a transition in the beginning from home but I know I made the right decision picking Fairfield,” he said.
Though many of the students are pleased with their choice, some still have concerns.
Lauren Campbell ’08 of California said Fairfield has an established reputation on the East Coast.
She added, “I have to admit that I am nervous that Fairfield’s regional reputation will not be enough to generate lucrative job options for me upon returning to California.”
Sheer distance from home has its added problems.
Kristine Wilson ’06 of Oregon said, “The fact that in the past two years, first semester finals have not ended until December 23 is very unappealing in a school when you live far away.”
Despite these concerns, the transfer rate than these students is no higher for students of neighboring states, said Pellegrino.
Many students who chose to study farther away from home find it to be a positive experience.
“It has proved to be an eye-opening experience,” Campbell said, “to how regions shape people’s ideas and beliefs, at least for me.”
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