The final count is in.

With Hurricane Ernesto scaring 20 freshmen away during orientation, the final count for total new students – which includes freshman, readmits and transfers – this fall is 722. The final enrollment number is very close to what was originally proposed to the Board of Trustees by the Office of Admissions last January.

An average freshman class is usually about 830 students. This year it stabilized at 530 students.

With enrollment down 15 percent this year, Deborah Stieffel, dean of admissions, says this is not a normal year for Loyola.

“(Admissions) knew we weren’t going to be where we wanted (numbers wise),” she said.

The goal for admissions is to show what Loyola has to offer and that it is functional and resilient. But when it comes to showing the same for New Orleans, it becomes tricky, Stieffel said.

“We had tremendous challenges with admissions,” said Stieffel. “It wasn’t so much about the perception of the school, but the perception of the city that we struggled with. The perception of the city is what brings the students in.”

Light at the end of the tunnel

Applications received for next year thus far have already more than doubled what they were last November, according to the office of admisisons. Two hundred-fifty applications have been received so far.

Last year, admissions had to rely almost entirely on electronic communication; this year admissions is revamping the application packages to look more exciting and aesthetically pleasing to prospective students, Stieffel told The Maroon earlier this semester.

The university is also calling on alumni and parents to spread the word to potential new students.

Stieffel said the admissions office is now working on the challenge of giving out a positive perception of the progress New Orleans has made in the rebuilding efforts.

“We feel very fortunate to have what we have right now and feel good about where we are headed,” Stieffel said.

Sally Tunmer can be reached at [email protected].