Admissions season is officially here. Once again, the age-old question is presented to us. Is Fairfield University admitting too many students?
There are two schools of thought here.
On the one hand, the growing rate of applications spreads the word about Fairfield quite effectively, while also allowing the school to be more selective about who they admit. This makes a degree from Fairfield University far more valuable for all of us and will help us get jobs in the future.
On the other hand, Fairfield is getting crowded, and the growing rate of admissions isn’t helping.
Last year, Fairfield celebrated a record high for admissions. This year, that number has increased by 15%, putting us at over 21,000 applicants. Of these, 15,040 were early applications, representing 2,376 high schools and 62 separate countries. Of those 15,040 early applications, 4,290 students were accepted, representing a 28% admissions rate.
Those are a lot of numbers, but what do they mean?
In short, Fairfield is becoming more attractive, more prestigious, more selective and more well-known year after year, both nationally and globally. There is no reason to believe that this trend will stop.
I, like all Stags, am happy to celebrate the furthering of our school’s reputation and prestige. I am eager to welcome students from around the world. I am happy to know that my degree will only grow in strength with each passing year.
I am, however, also growing more and more nervous about what this will mean for life on campus.
It is getting crowded in here. The Mirror has already reported on the crowded conditions in the RecPlex and at mass. Now consider the situation the current first-year class is in. Many are housed in forced triples. In Jogues Hall, some of the lounges have become quadruple dorms.
Think about the line to get into the Tully during the busy times of the day. Think again about the crowds in the RecPlex at almost every time of day. Think about the selection rush to get a spot in the more popular courses.
I want this school to prosper. I want to see a larger, more talented and more diverse student body. I believe that it would be a real benefit to Fairfield University and a real benefit to all of us. Still, I worry.
In the end, there may not be a perfect solution to this problem, but I have a few suggestions.
First and foremost, they need to ensure there is enough housing to go around. Luckily, that process seems to be underway. A few new buildings have been built in the last few years, and there are even plans in place to convert a part of the Media Center into student housing. I can only recommend that these plans continue as much as possible.
Second, start looking for ways to increase the amount of classes, so as to accommodate for a larger student population without increasing the size of every class. This is complicated, of course, by the lack of classrooms. Already, parts of Canisius have been converted into more classrooms, but more could certainly be done here.
Third, open at least one more dining location, so as to take some strain off of the Tully. Previously, I wrote an article about the benefits of a campus diner, but really any dining establishment would work.
Hopefully, if Fairfield can take the necessary steps to prepare for the expansion that seems to be taking place, we can all go forward into a better, more prosperous future.
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