University of Iowa to create waitlist after May 1 for those who don’t submit acceptance fees on time

IOWA CITY - If you have been admitted to the University of Iowa and you intend on enrolling, you better pay your $250 acceptance fee before the May 1 deadline.

No, seriously.

The UI Office of Admissions has been somewhat flexible with prospective students in the past who applied and were offered admissions but didn't verify their intent to enroll by paying the fee in time. This year, with application and admission numbers soaring to historic highs, that deadline is set, said Brent Gage, associate vice president for enrollment management.

'We have always had that date, but in the past we had more flexibility to continue to admit students and enroll students beyond May 1,” Gage said. 'Because of our great success in student recruitment and the level of interest in the University of Iowa, at May 1 this year, we really mean you need to have completed your application and paid your acceptance fee in order to be a part of our freshman class.”

Anyone who doesn't will have their admission canceled, Gage said. Those folks would be able to reach out to the university to request being placed on a waitlist for the fall.

'While I think this is exciting because it really shows we are evolving to become an institution of first choice, and the value of an Iowa degree has never been higher, it's also important in the local area for students to understand that we really mean May 1,” he said.

Gage said the last thing the university wants to do is alienate the local student 'who just hasn't gotten around to taking care of things.”

'And while we will work hard for our waitlist to accommodate those students, we really want to get the message out that this is an important deadline,” he said.

Iowa State University and University of Northern Iowa, meanwhile, told The Gazette on Friday that they are not holding fast to May 1 deadlines. ISU admissions director Katharine Suski said her institution encourages incoming students to accept by May 1, 'but we do not have a May 1 deadline for deposits.”

UNI for the first time last year implemented a May 1 commitment deadline for new students, although the institution also was flexible in accepting commitments beyond that date, said Matthew Kroeger, associate vice president of enrollment management at UNI.

'And we plan to be this year as well,” he said. 'As a public university that is committed to access and affordability, we believe it is important to exercise this flexibility.”

UI administrators said they feel the need to hold fast to the May 1 deadline this year due to record applications and admissions for the upcoming academic year that begins in the fall. To date, 25,613 prospective first-year students have applied for the 2016-17 year, and 19,550 have been admitted, according to Gage.

That application total is up 7 percent from last year, when 23,900 people applied. And the admission total is up 8 percent over last year, when 18,126 were accepted.

From those 18,126 admissions, the university ended up with a first-year class of 5,241 - representing the largest in school history and a 575-student jump over the previous year's freshmen class. Using predictive modeling based on where applicants live and other factors, Gage said, the university again is expecting a 500-some student increase.

'We have different yield rates,” he said. 'The percentage of students who enroll is very different for a student from Iowa versus a student from California versus a student from China.”

Of this year's applicants, 5,100 are from Iowa - an 11 percent increase over last year's 4,640, according to Gage.

'As we look at the numbers right now, in order to accommodate the students who we predict will enroll and really provide them with a great experience as a first-year student, we really feel it's important” to adhere to that May 1 deadline, he said.

Last summer, after the May 1 deadline, UI received 133 applications and offered admission to 113 of those. Of that group, Gage said, 94 enrolled.

'The rate of yield is not surprising given they had changed course and Iowa was their new destination for college,” he said.

The increase in UI applications and admissions, according to Gage, is the result of more targeted recruiting efforts aimed at getting students who are a good fit to visit campus and understand where and how they would fit in.

'I think we have a very well-articulated communication and recruitment plan to really reach out to students who we think are a great fit for the type of institution we are,” Gage said. 'We have really been thoughtful in not trying to recruit more students but really trying to recruit the right students.”

The university has maintained its traditional recruiting strategies - including sending mailers, making phone calls, and participating in school fairs. But, Gage said, the university has focused more resources on its campus visit experience.

Since July of last summer, the university has welcomed 56,509 campus visitors - including prospective students, parents, and guardians - representing an increase over previous years.

'If you can get students to come and actually visit campus, their likelihood of enrolling is increased significantly,” Gage said.

The need to cut off student admissions this year on May 1 will ensure the university's ability to provide the type of experience promised, Gage said.

'It's just making sure that we are planning effectively and making sure that we're working with our academic partners to make sure that we have adequate sections,” he said. 'It's working with housing to make sure they have a plan for how students are placed and making sure those students who do need a place on campus will be accommodated.”