As the official number of students that Loyola welcomes to its campus for the first time in 2007 is counted, there are no great surprises or disappointments but an expected turnout for the spring semester, admissions office officials said.

In the latest tally, the number of new students to arrive at Loyola after the fall is positioned between the final count of the first semester back after Hurricane Katrina and the previous year. So far, the admissions office has counted 84 new students who have registered for the spring semester. That number is expected to shift, and the result will finally be realized by Feb. 15, according to Deborah Stieffel, dean of admissions.

In the spring of 2005, there were 93 students who applied and were admitted to Loyola, 27 more than were registered for the Spring I semester, following the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

In terms of students who return for the subsequent spring semester every year, Stieffel said Loyola typically re-enrolls 92 percent of those students previously enrolled in the fall, losing approximately 8 percent during the holiday vacation.

As of Wednesday, Loyola had re-enrolled 90 percent of students from Fall 2006.

Sally Tunmer can be reached at [email protected].