Maine Perspective Front Page
In-State Students Choosing UMaine on the Rise
The number of Maine high school graduates choosing to enroll at the University of Maine in fall 1998 is running significantly ahead of last year, according to the latest enrollment figures.
Current data reveals that the number of "confirmations," accepted applicants from Maine actually choosing to enroll at UMaine, is currently up 137 students, or 38 percent greater when compared with the same time last year.
The trend in confirmations is significant because many of those students chose UMaine over other colleges and universities to which they had been accepted.
Overall the number of applications from Maine students is up 7 percent over last year, while offers of admission are up 14 percent.
"This is promising news not just for the University of Maine but for the future of the state," says UMaine President Peter S. Hoff. "Though it's still early in the process, I am encouraged that more of Maine's young people are choosing to stay in-state for their college education, and are choosing the University of Maine for that education."
Hoff has been outspoken about the need to encourage Maine's young people to seek quality educational opportunities in-state rather than take their talents to out-of-state schools, something he and others call a "brain drain" detrimental to Maine's future. Often students who leave their home state for college choose not to return after graduation, taking their talents elsewhere.
John Beacon, UMaine's dean of Enrollment Management, says Hoff's efforts to encourage Maine students to stay in-state has resonated with high school students, principals and guidance counselors. Beacon believes that's one reason for the increased student interest in UMaine.
"President Hoff's message is compelling," Beacon says. "More people are realizing that the quality and value of the education we offer, combined with the relatively low cost of in-state tuition, make UMaine an extremely attractive option."
Beacon cites two additional reasons why he believes UMaine's appeal to Maine students seems to be on the increase:
- Increased media attention to student aspirations and the importance of giving Maine students quality educational opportunities in state, evidenced by legislative proposals such as Rep. Elizabeth Mitchell's much-discussed idea for the state to pay for the first year of college for Maine high school graduates.
- The positive attention UMaine's research and development activities have received in the context of the public discussion of the state's economic future. Beacon believes that Maine students may be more aware of the hands-on educational opportunities and professional advantages they can experience at UMaine.
Beacon also points out that while the number of incoming students is up, their talent, motivation and potential to succeed in college remain favorable. Beacon says the incoming class of students resemble UMaine's most recent classes of students, which have brought impressive qualifications to the University. By one objective measure, Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores, UMaine students continue to score well above the state and national averages.