HIGHLIGHTS Office of Enrollment Management
Fall 2021
ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT
2021 REVIEW Fall 2022 marks the most academically accomplished, diverse applicant pool. The demand for a degree from Auburn University has never been greater, with the university recently topping the 40,000 marks in freshmen applications for fall 2022 – an all-time high. Among the more than 40,000 applications received for fall 2022, there was a 60% increase in students applying from Alabama and a 100% jump in applicants from students with diverse backgrounds. The applicant pool included students from every county in Alabama and all 50 states. The university’s 2022 early action decisions extended from October to January, with regular decisions announced in March. The acceptance rate for Auburn’s early action cycle was 39% for a total of 17,061 acceptances. Those students had an average ACT score of 28.1 and an average GPA of 4.18, with less than 10% admitted under the university’s test-optional pathway. As a top choice for Alabama students, more than 60% of Alabama residents were accepted during early action.
PHILOSOPHY Office of Undergraduate Admissions
As a land-grant institution, Auburn University is dedicated to improving the lives of the people of Alabama, the nation and the world through forward-thinking education, selfless service and life-enhancing research and scholarship. Outlined in the current Auburn University Stategic Plan, the University aims to “achieve a robust and diverse enrollment of students while enhancing success, affordability and academic quality.” The Office of Undergraduate Admissions embraces our responsibility to serve the citizens of the state of Alabama. The goal of the admission review process is to execute the will of the faculty, university administration and the Board of Trustees by implementing a fair and equitable selection process. The comprehensive review of applicants provides the Office of Undergraduate Admissions an opportunity to evaluate students individually, select students with the greatest potential for academic success and live up to the Auburn Creed.
ADMISSIONS NEW STUDENT SUMMARY & TRENDS (Fall 2022)
17,061
60%
increase in Alabama resident applicants.
FIRST-TIME FRESHMAN Class of 2026
110%
increase in applicants from underrepresented ethnic groups.
COMMON APP STATS
28,024 Common App applicants, +70.4% increase.
66% of the applicant pool applied using the Common App. 55% of Common App applicants had an ACT score greater than or equal to 28.
151%
increase in African American student applicants.
+154%
increase in applicants applying as a First-Generation college student.
The Common Application helps streamline an essential part of the admissions process for students. Through the platform, first-time and transfer applicants can apply to multiple colleges and universities all at once. Each year, more than one million students in the United States apply for admission, scholarships and financial aid through Common App.
+6,600 underrepresented students used the Common App, a 38% increase.
54% indicated involment in community service, another club or varsity athletic sport. +3,000 applicants from the state of Alabama.
ADMISSIONS EARLY ACTION ACADEMIC SUMMARY (October, November and January) Admits
Defer
Deny
TOTAL 17,061
9,556
4,283
AVERAGE
28.11
23.67
20.22
RESIDENT
26.38
18.51
17.57
NON-RESIDENT
29.8
24.6
21.7
ACT ACT ACT
Decision by Average ACT Score Average ACT
28.11 26.38
Admits
29.8
Resident ACT
23.67
18.51
Defer
Non-Resident ACT
24.6
20.22
17.57
Deny
21.7
ADMISSIONS EARLY ACTION ACADEMIC SUMMARY (October, November and January) Admits
Defer
Deny
AVERAGE
4.19
3.9
3.54
RESIDENT
4.04 4.28
3.64 3.92
3.29
4.17
3.96
3.79
GPA GPA
NON-RESIDENT
GPA
TESTOPTIONAL
GPA
3.61
Decision by Average GPA Average GPA
4.19
4.04
4.28
Admits
4.17
Resident GPA
3.9
Non-Resident GPA
3.64
3.92
Defer
3.96
Test-Optional GPA
3.54
3.29
3.61
Deny
3.79
RECRUITMENT CAMPUS VISITATION & EVENTS
138 VIT visits hosted in Fall 2021.
More than
9,300
More than
2,000
guests visited campus for a guided tour.
TRANSFER VISITS • Visited all Alabama Community Colleges. • Hosted a Virtual Community College Partnership Luncheon, including 21 Alabama Community Colleges.
guests visited for events this fall.
VIRTUAL TOURS •
11,859 visitors engaged with the virtual tour, averaging 7 minutes and 33 seconds on the tour.
RECRUITMENT RECRUITMENT & OUTREACH
449 Fall High School Visits
241
188
Fall College Fairs
78 Fall Student Meetings
(in-person and virtual)
Quad Center Student Meetings
COMMUNICATION COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING
43,445 undergraduate applications for the 2022-23 academic year.
175 text message campaigns conducted to inform prospective students about upcoming admissions deadlines.
2,920,933 emails sent via The Office of Undergraduate Admissions. 1,221 email campaigns sent to prospective students. 901,633 people visited the Admissions website. More than 500 students participated in and were admitted through Auburn First.
14,490 464,833 information packets mailed to prospective students.
telecounseling calls.
COMMUNICATION POPULAR AMONG THE CLASS OF 2026
25,825 total followers for Auburn’s ZeeMee Community.
ZeeMee Community is the #1 social media platform for genuine peer-to-peer engagement and live virtual events. ZeeMee allows both prospective and admitted students to connect with ZeeMee influencers (current students) through a group chat, pictures and videos. ZeeMee was launched in January 2020, allowing three freshmen classes to have an authentic glimpse at Auburn.
Most Popular States
Most Popular Majors Business Administration Nursing Biology Pre-Med Psychology Marketing Finance Mechanical Engineering
Alabama Georgia Texas Florida Tennessee
North Carolina California Illinois Mississippi South Carolina
Most Popular Interests Netflix 4,461 students
Greek Life 4,131 students
Football 3,921 students
Travel 3,523 students
SCHOLARSHIP SCHOLARSHIPS & AFFORDABILITY Awarded $74.1M in institutionally funded merit, need and leadership scholarships for 11,261 recipients. Awarded $4.4M in general scholarships for 2,120 recipients. Assisted in the awarding of $10.7M in departmental scholarships for 5,099 recipients. Posted $5.4M in external scholarships for 2,101 recipients.
NOTABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS • Increased the number of Ever to Conquer Scholarships awarded at $5,000 per year to incoming students from 146 for fall 2020 to 457 for fall 2021. • Added two new levels of merit scholarship for Alabama residents applying for admission for fall 2022 with a minimum 28 ACT or equivalent SAT score and a 3.0 to 3.49 high school GPA. This is the first time these students have been considered for merit scholarships in several years.
MARKET INSIGHTS & RESEARCH 2021 Enrollment Choice Survey
Since July 2019, Hanover Research has partnered with Auburn University on a range of research initiatives. The Annual Enrollment Choice Survey asked students about factors that shaped their decisions to enroll or not enroll at Auburn.
2021 Survey Key Objectives • Identify which factors, influence the decisions of first-year applicants to enroll or not enroll at Auburn. • Identify when students decided to enroll or not enroll at Auburn. • Understand how an applicant’s participation in admissions programming (e.g., campus visits) impact their tendency to enroll or not enroll. • Understand the extent to which admits are influenced by Auburn’s test-optional policies. • Investigate how 2021 survey results compare to the 2019 survey results.
RESEARCH KEY FINDINGS 1.
Academic quality and campus atmosphere are top factors when applying to schools. Students ranked Auburn high in both areas. Cost remains the top factor for students not enrolling at Auburn.
2.
The COVID-19 pandemic did not influence students’ decision to apply to Auburn. Most respondents were concerned about “missing events (e.g., on-campus activities)” (60%) and “personal, mental and emotional health” (51%).
3.
17% of respondents took advantage of Auburn’s test-optional admissions policy. Among those who did, two-thirds said it was “moderately influential” in their decision to apply to Auburn.
4.
Academic and social factors were most important to respondents when deciding where to enroll.
5.
Financial factors rank as a top reason for not enrolling at Auburn.
6.
Compared to competitors, respondents rated Auburn the highest in terms of overal quality in both the 2019 and 2021 surveys.
Most non-enrolling students “strongly agreed” with the statement “I would attend Auburn University if I received a stronger financial aid/scholarship package.”
RESEARCH STUDENT INTEL REPORT Background The Auburn University Office of Undergraduate Admissions wanted to gauge the pulse of the prospective and current students by conducting a series of interviews. In spring 2021, Mindpower conducted a series of interviews with current students. The purpose of these interviews was to uncover what’s working, where there are opportunities for improvement, and what should be emphasized in marketing to best connect with the next cycle of prospective students.
About the Auburn Family “You join the family on day one, and then you’re an Auburn person for life. People will stop you if you’re wearing a shirt and have a conversation with you.”
What makes Auburn distinctive? “There’s a real sense of community here.” “I see myself raising my kids in the Auburn environment. That’s how awesome this school is and the community within it.”
Would you choose Auburn again? “I absolutely would. It’s just different. It’s an amazing place filled with great people.” “Absolutely. It’s one of those places where you can grow personally and academically. You’ll find friends who you’ll be close with for the rest of your life and make connections that will help your career.”
RESEARCH STUDENT INTEL REPORT About the Campus Tour “Auburn’s tour is more like ‘Hey! This is home!’” “I was going to go to the University of Tennessee until I went on the Auburn campus tour. The ‘War Eagle’ definitely got me. I love it when students walk around and say, ‘War Eagle’ instead of hello.” “It’s not just the tour guides who love Auburn; everyone else we met that day made us feel special. They made it clear that they loved Auburn and wanted us to love it too.”
About first impressions “Auburn surprises people. The random people walking by that say, ‘War Eagle!’ genuinely care about Auburn, and it shows. You feel that instantly.”
What they said about diversity “Pushes for diversity have been kind of trendy lately. I hope that Auburn is not going to be trendy. Auburn just needs to be a place where everyone feels welcome.” “Auburn is not as diverse as it should be. That didn’t stop me from coming to Auburn, but I know a number of people who didn’t come because of that.”
AUBURN UNIVERSITY
ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT