Index of University Press Releases

Sept. 12, 2006

Enrollment of full-time, first-time freshman up

MITCHELL – DWU officials announced that full-time, first-time freshman numbers are up 46 percent, and total enrollment is 777.

In 2005, freshman numbers were at 133; this fall there are 195 freshmen.

“We’re excited about the academic profile of this year’s freshman class,” said Amy Novak, vice president for enrollment services. “We have 30 students with an ACT of 26 or higher, and the incoming GPA is an average of 3.1. We believe that this level of academic achievement will add to the classroom dynamics in a positive way.”

Novak noted that DWU is seeing more students coming in with dual credits, such as Advanced Placement classes or upper level classes that qualify for college credit as well as high school credit, which will enable students to accelerate their degree completion.

The enrollment goal for this year was 270 new full-time students, and that goal was exceeded as the campus grew to 317 new students. “We attribute the success in enrolling more students to our coaches and admissions counselors,” said Novak. “We’re able to share the message about our strong academic experience, one-on-one attention from professors and the countless career opportunities our grads have.”

Students at DWU are primarily from South Dakota at 70 percent. Another 15 percent are from neighboring states of Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska and Minnesota.

Admissions counselors are aided by larger rosters in athletic programs as well as continued high interest in nursing and education programs. “Our excellent rates of acceptance of grads into medical schools and other professional schools have yielded more interest in biochemistry, athletic training and biology and pre-medicine programs,” added Novak.

Dakota Wesleyan will have even more to offer students in the coming year as the McGovern Center for Leadership and Public Service takes off. “The addition of the McGovern Library, the renovation of the dorms and the upcoming library dedication will continue to put DWU in the forefront of students’ minds in the region,” concluded Novak.