Strong increases in enrollment from the L.A. area lead to a bowl-related recruitment event on Jan. 1

EUGENE, Ore. -- (Dec. 29, 2011) –The Oregon Ducks are preparing for the Rose Bowl in an area known as “home” to an ever-increasing number of the university’s students. 

In the past five years, enrollment at the UO has increased 169 percent for students from the Los Angeles area.  For the current academic year, there was a 44 percent increase in applications and 18 percent increase in enrollment of new southern California freshmen (381 students) over 2010.

Roger Thompson, UO’s vice provost for enrollment management, says the increases make it the fastest growing area of the country for new students to the University of Oregon. 

“Over the past several years the UO has experienced strong growth from public and private high schools in the Los Angeles area, particularly in Orange County where there was a 55 percent increase in applications last year,” said Thompson.  “The interest from students and their parents has never been higher.”

All 50 states are represented in the UO student body this fall, including 4,529 from California, which is the home state with the largest number of the UO’s out-of-state students. Oregon residents make up 59.21 percent of the UO’s total undergraduate enrollment.

The enrollment management team credits the elevated national profile of athletics and academics, as well as a significant increase in online visibility at top admissions websites for the steep increase in interest from Southern California residents.

This year’s Rose Bowl game against the University of Wisconsin-Madison has created a new opportunity for the university to engage L.A.-area residents who might be considering the UO.

The Office of Enrollment Management scheduled a recruitment event for prospective students from Santa Barbara to San Diego to attend an information session prior to the UO Alumni Association’s pep rally at the Santa Monica Pier on Jan. 1.  Prospective students and their families were invited to learn more about the UO’s academic excellence, chat with leaders and experience fan excitement around the Oregon Ducks.

“The Rose Bowl is a great Southern California tradition, and we chose to take advantage of the tremendous success of this year’s football team and reach out to students who are considering becoming Ducks to show them what our institution is all about,” said Thompson, who anticipates about 500 attendees at the recruitment event.

"Many students in the L.A. basin get to know the University of Oregon on Saturdays in the fall, but at our event, we intend to share what happens on our campus Monday through Friday with the excellence in our academic programs,” he said.

The UO is also in the hiring process for a regional admissions recruiter who will be based in Southern California.  The recruiter will serve as an information resource for prospective students and families, and will be available to answer their questions. A similar position is also open in the Bay Area, another hot spot for UO students.

About the University of Oregon

The University of Oregon is among the 108 institutions chosen from 4,633 U.S. universities for top-tier designation of "Very High Research Activity" in the 2010 Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. The UO also is one of two Pacific Northwest members of the Association of American Universities.

MEDIA CONTACT: Julie Brown, UO media relations, 541-346-3185, julbrown@uoregon.edu

SOURCE:Roger Thompson, vice provost, Enrollment Management, 541-346-2542, rjt@uoregon.edu

###