Louisiana seems to be moving backward instead of forward — at least with regard to high school graduates. For the University, a decrease in in-state graduates means fewer in-state applicants to the University. While the overall number of applicants for the fall 2009 semester is up, the number of in-state applicants is down 3 percent.Mary Parker, Undergraduate Admissions and Student Aid executive director, said the University will not diminish the quality of students to make up for the drop but instead will compensate for it with more rigorous in-state recruitment and an increase in out-of-state applications.Parker said overall the University has seen a 6 percent increase in applications since January 2008. She said the University had about 12,300 total applications at this time last year compared to 13,500 applications now.The problem is not with recruiting efforts or a general disinterest in the University, according to Chancellor Michael Martin.”The number of high school graduates in Louisiana is actually declining,” Martin said.But Martin said decreasing in-state applications comes with a silver lining — diversity.”I believe that great universities embrace diversity in all of its definitions,” Martin said. “People come from places to give you a different view of the world. I came down here, and now I eat gumbo and jambalaya.”Jim McCoy, vice provost of Enrollment Management, Policy and Planning, said the University will continue aggressive recruitment efforts in Louisiana.”We always recruit aggressively,” McCoy said. “We have to assess what we’re doing. We’re not planning [on slacking off].”The University is continuing both in-state and out-of-state recruiting efforts by reminding potential students of the advantages of an LSU education, according to Parker.”This year, we have been more aggressive in Louisiana,” Parker said. “We’re also communicating with students who have not applied about the importance of an education at LSU. It would be cheaper for them to stay at LSU than to [go] out of state.”While recruitment efforts in Louisiana may not be as fruitful as in the past, Parker said transfer, minority and international applications have increased.Despite budget cuts, Parker said recruitment will proceed as normally as possible.”We are doing everything possible to use our money wisely so that we are getting the most for the money that we have to use in our recruiting process,” Parker said. “But ultimately we have a class to bring in within reason and within the budget restraints.”——Contact Lindsey Meaux at [email protected]