The student population at Nicholls students is at a 12-year high with 7,482 enrolled, which is a 3.03 percent increase from last year. This semester also marks record highs for ACT scores, first time freshmen and full-time students. Aggressive recruiting by the admissions department has led to the significant increase in student enrollment according to Becky LeBlanc-Durocher, director of admissions.

Since April, 1,795 students have been activated according to the Office of Records and Registration. Of the students activated, 1,599 are first-time freshmen and 125 are transfer freshman with less than 30 hours. Sixty-six students are transfers with greater than 30 hours and four have been readmitted. One student is a transfer who has been readmitted.

An activated student is one who has paid or made arrangements to pay.
“Based on these numbers we see this as a double victory because we have increased the number of students we service and first time enrollment is up,”, said Leblanc-Durocher after receiving the official numbers.

“We have focused our efforts on recruiting retainable students,” James Irwin, admissions counselor and Nicholls alumnus, said. “By focusing on students that are more likely to come here we will therefore increase our yield.” Yield is the number of students that apply and enroll at Nicholls.
The move to selective admissions in 2005 has changed what the admissions office calls “the Nicholls fit.” They are looking for students who are taking the TOPS core classes, have a composite score of 20 or better on the ACT, will take a limited number of developmental classes and can enter the University and think that they will be successful.

They also give credit to the new telecommunications techniques being used. Telecommunications includes mail-outs, e-mails and telephone calls. The use of telecounselors, current students who are employed to call prospective students and inform them about what is going on at Nicholls and when recruiters will be in their town, or has been very effective according to LeBlanc-Durocher.

Other new tools used by admissions this year were regional receptions in New Orleans and Morgan City. Faculty and administration were on hand at the receptions to meet and answer questions from prospective students.

“We have worked with financial aid to make the activation process easier by eliminating some of the forms students had to fill out,” LeBlanc-Durocher said. “Some students didn’t even have to come on campus because we were able to activate them over the phone.