Making the Class

With the announcement of UGA's new vice president for undergraduate admissions, it's a good time to take stock of the task(s) to which we set our team of admissions counselors. It's one of the most important functions of the university: getting the right - and the right mix of - students here. Coincidental to our new VP's appointment, the Chronicle of Higher Ed published a great infographic and article on the resources required to seat one freshman class:

In the popular imagination, admissions is about selection. But for many colleges, it’s really about recruitment. Most of the work involves encouraging potential students to apply, and admitted ones to enroll.

It's a nice illustration and breakdown of the process, and even though the scale of UGA makes comparisons with a small private college in Indiana difficult, the poignancy of the challenges of finding the best students and bringing them to campus is clear. A tough, very important job that is at the very center of what we do on campus, and the self-fulfilling mission of achieving excellence at the university.