The Year of the Student

The University of Mississippi Welcomes Incoming Students

Ole Miss breaks records this year with largest ever freshman class

All over the country, admissions advisors are seeing a substantial increase in their applicants, admits, and attendees.

The University of Mississippi is among those experiencing the increase. This year’s freshman class of 2010-2011 is the largest in Ole Miss history, with a 36% increase from 2006-2007.

“We didn’t quite anticipate the number of applicants we got last year, and we didn’t quite anticipate the number of students who actually enrolled,” said Whitman Smith, director of enrollment services.

Ole Miss has done little to change their approach towards incoming students, but recent economic stress, national media attention, and a widely respected football team may be one of the primary reasons behind the increase.

“The school went from about 32 percent to 35 percent this year out of state,” Smith said. “That makes us the most diverse in terms of geography in the state of Mississippi.”

Diversifying the University has always been a goal, and with the growing out of state applicants, it is anticipated to continue. Ole Miss has been receiving applications from as far west as California, and as far east as Rhode Island.

But with the increase comes the question of whether or not Ole Miss can accommodate the growth.

“You can definitely feel the increase on campus. I have never seen the Union so overcrowded, people were literally sitting outside to eat,” said senior business major Misha Vause.

Teachers are feeling the increase as well, “It may come down to us having to convert other rooms or classrooms into laboratories,” said Lucile McCook, instructor of Biology.

One solution may be increasing the requirements for admissions. Because Ole Miss is a private school, they are not responsible for setting their own standards. If schools across the state begin having complications on campus due to over population, it is possible that the public school’s admission requirements might be raised.

The University is still in the preliminary stages of addressing the increase of students, and future campus changes are dependent on the continued trend. Until then, the University will continue to welcome students from where ever they may call home.