Liberty University on Monday closed off its fall enrollment early for the first time in school history as school officials plan for a slightly slower, more controlled growth.
The school plans to admit 3,500 new students for the fall semester, and has started a waiting list for any applicants who did not meet the cut-off date, said Registrar Larry Shackleton.
That would bring the school’s population to about 11,300 resident students, up 800 from last fall.
The Christian university has seen continued growth over the past several years, and recently was granted city approval to expand to 15,000 students over the next five years.
Last year, the school admitted more than 3,600 new students, Shackleton said, and is scaling that back slightly. Usually, the school cuts off enrollment around the start of the semester.
“We are clearly looking to limit the number of students to make sure we can take care of them effectively,” he said Monday, citing additions to roads, libraries, dorms, computer labs, parking, offices and classrooms.
Chris Johnson, executive director of resident recruiting, said the school began Monday with about 325 students on the waiting list who had been admitted and accepted, but had not completed check-in requirements.
“We’ve already taken over 500 phone calls today,” he said in mid-afternoon Monday. “It’s just a very, very busy day with students finalizing their arrangements for the fall semester.”
He expected the waiting list to grow to about 500 students by today.
Students from the waiting list may be granted admission even after the cut-off, Johnson said, depending on factors such as available housing and classroom space. As of Monday, he said, the school was nearing capacity for its 6,300 dorm spots.
“It’s just going to come down to how many additional we can actually service,” he said.
The school also may be more selective with students’ SAT scores and grade point averages, he said.
According to Liberty’s official admissions Web site, undergraduate students are required to have a minimum combined math and verbal score of 800 on the SAT, or 17 composite on the ACT, and a minimum of a 2.0 unweighted GPA on a 4.0 scale.
Shackleton said recruiting every year is a task for more than just the admissions office.
“At Liberty, we really take it seriously that recruiting and retention is a responsibility of everyone that works here,” Shackleton said. “It keeps us hopping, but it’s just a lot of fun.”
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