The University is using new recruiting initiatives to attract more diverse applicants with higher ACT scores and is creating new programs to increase retention and graduations, which are currently the highest in the University’s history, 85.4 and 58.9 percent respectively, according to a University news release.”The 2008 freshman class at LSU exemplifies our efforts,” said Chancellor Michael Martin in the release. “The class shows continued improvements in ACT scores and large increases in African-American and non-resident student. But, while we are moving in the right direction, we still have more work to do.”Applications to the University increased 31 percent overall from 2007 and applications from non-resident students increased 62 percent, according to the release. For the fall 2008 semester, 5,141 new students enrolled at the University, up from 4,596 in 2007.According to the release, the average ACT score of University freshmen has “increased steadily over the past several years,” but the 2008 freshman class had “large increases in the number of students enrolled who scored highest on the ACT.”Compared with 2007, there is a 12.2 percent increase in the number of students scoring between 33 and 36 on the ACT in the 2008 freshman class. Students scoring a 32 increased 44.9 percent, students scoring a 30 or 31 increased by 10 percent and those scoring between 26 and 29 increased by 11.8 percent.Additionally, the 2008 freshman class represents a spike in the University’s diversity from the 2007 class with a 14.1 percent increase in black students, a 40.4 percent increase in out-of-state students, a 15.1 percent increase in female students and a 9.4 percent increase in students of Asian ethnicity. There is also an increase among students from the Greater Baton Rouge and Southeast Louisiana areas enrolling in the University, up 11.4 percent from the 2007 freshman class.”I would like to see LSU grow its enrollment, but I want us to do it the right way,” Martin said in the release. “We want the best quality students from around the state, the nation and the world. This may take a little time, but we are on the right track.”Among out-of-state students, students from Georgia, Tennessee and Florida increased most, “showing that student from states with their own top-tier universities are choosing to attend LSU,” according to the release. Students from Texas, Arkansas, Alabama and Mississippi also increased.”Because of a projected decrease in the number of college-age students from Louisiana, we set out to increase the number of out-of-state students LSU,” said Jim McCoy, vice provost for enrollment and management, in the release. “We instituted a tow-year direct-mail campaign for out-of-state students, and it continues to pay dividends, and we are going to continue our aggressive efforts to recruit higher-caliber students and promote diversity.”Mary Parker, executive director of admissions and student aid, said in the release the University engaged in a “massive follow-up campaign for students who applied.””In terms of recruiting, our faculty was a tremendous asset for us, for in-state, out-of-state and minority students,” Parker said in the release. “We identified key faculty members, as well as students and alumni, who could reach out to potential students and tell them what their experiences were like and how LSU helped them to become successful. That has become a key part of our recruiting process.”McCoy credits Parker and her staff in the release for finding innovative recruiting tactics and for creating financial packages to make attendance a reality for more students.”This year, we reached out to the colleges and decided to leverage our resources and utilize our money more effectively,” Parker said in the release. “We developed a system that combines all the scholarships and financial aid that a student can receive and then we sent one massive award letter to students that included federal, state and institution dollars. This helps students get a read on what their education is going to cost. With the state of the economy right now, it’s more important than ever to let students know that LSU is affordable.”The University is also creating two near comprehensive programs designed to help retain and graduate students — the First-Year Experience, a new department to help freshmen succeed academically and socially during their first year, and the Comprehensive Academic Tracking System, or CATS, which will help students “stay on track to graduate from LSU in four years,” according to the release.”This year, due to our desire to increase overall enrollment, we were able to accept out-of-state students without denying qualified Louisianians, and that’s the best of all worlds,” McCoy said in the release.——Contact The Daily Reveille news staff at [email protected]