For the past 11 years, the St. Edward’s University freshman class has been steadily increasing, and admission standards have risen as well.

This year, a record-breaking 781 students make up the class of 2015, beating last year’s record of 770 students.

“We’ve grown in a similar way every year,” said Vice President of Undergraduate Admissions Tracy Manier.

Manier said that the freshman growth has much to do with President Martin’s 10-year strategic plan. In 2000, Martin made a goal to double the enrollment of St. Edward’s, and this goal is what has helped steadily increase the size of the freshman class, she said.

Manier said the university went from having 365 freshman students then to having 770 students last year.

Since 2000, the admissions office has come up with new recruitment strategies to attract more students to the school.  The office now tries to reach potential high school students earlier. It sends out letters to freshman and sophomores in high school to make them more aware of St. Edward’s before they start making decisions about college.

The admission staff has also grown larger over the past ten years, which has allowed both international and out-of-state travel. The admissions office participates in extensive recruitment tours in Central and South America, the Middle East and Europe, according to Manier. This year, there are 44 international students in the freshman class—more than ever before. Fourteen percent of students from this year’s freshman class are also from out of state.

The expansion of the admissions staff has also allowed an increasing number of admission counselors to be sent out to cities all across the United States—at least 20 metropolitan areas—in order to recruit more students.

“Houston is one of the places that we grew admission. We used to send only one admission counselor, now we send three,” Manier said.

Director of Academic Planning and Support Services Greg McConnell also agrees that many students come from the Houston area.

“I joke that we should make a branch of St. Edward’s in Houston,” McConnell said.

McConnell believes that living in Austin is what attracts a lot of students to being a student at St. Edward’s.

“Austin is a growing, dynamic city for young people. There are so many events if you want to get involved. A lot of our majors fit in with the opportunities present,” McConnell said.

However, when deciding on schools her senior year, Sarah Records, now a junior, was just looking for good education programs in the area. She also confirmed that the attitude of the community is what helped her decision.

“Everyone I met at St. Ed’s was nice and helpful,” Records said.

Not only has the number of students changed, but the admission standards have changed as well.

During 1999-2000, the average SAT score (only including critical reading and math) was around a 1040, but now it is 1125. 

“This class has higher high school performance than past years,” Manier said.

Manier said that this year’s class had the greatest number of students who were ranked in the top 25 percent of their graduating class, around 59 percent. The class of 2014 had 54 percent of students rank in the top quarter.

St. Edward’s has also seen an increase in the number of first-time freshman applicants. This year there were close to 4000 applicants, and only 781 of them were accepted. According to Manier, there were just 900 applicants in 2000.

McConnell said that the university’s approach to learning is what makes it stand apart from other schools.

“St. Edward’s has a wonderful, personable approach. You get a faculty advisor day one—a full time-counselor who you can make an appointment with any day to help you transition,” McConnell said.