Loyola University student applications rise

New Orleans CityBusiness, May 15, 2008

Student applications for the fall at Loyola University New Orleans are at 3,514, up from 2,980 total applications in 2007, the university said today.

The incoming freshman class of 2008 will be the 100th graduating class for Loyola when they graduate in 2012. Loyola was founded in 1912.

For the incoming centennial class, there are 704 freshmen enrolled so far compared with 515 enrolled on the same date in 2007.

Lori Zawistowski, interim dean of admissions and enrollment management, said some incoming students have expressed the desire to "be a part of something" and the opportunity to "give of themselves" as their reason for applying to Loyola.

The incoming freshman class is also one of the most academically talented in the university's history, Loyola said. "Initial reviews show that grade-point averages and test scores reflect solid increases over 2007," the university said.

Students enrolling at Loyola for the fall represent 43 states; Puerto Rico; Washington, D.C.; and the Virgin Islands along with 13 foreign countries, Loyolal said. Minorities represent 38.5 percent of the class, and 56 percent of the class is female. First- generation students comprise nearly 29 percent of the class.

Loyola also credited increased recruitment initiatives for the rise in student interest in the school.