Posted March 19, 2009
Campus visitors flocking to Temple in record numbers
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When Temple senior and Owl Ambassador Chris Stover first started leading guided tours of Main Campus for prospective students as a freshman in 2006, the scene was "pretty slow." |
 Photo by Ryan S. Brandenberg/Temple University
Visiting high school students depart the Temple Welcome Center on a tour of Main Campus. New students report that Temple’s social atmosphere, urban location and affordability are among the top factors that make the university attractive.
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| "The buzz about Temple just keeps spreading," Mendrinos said from her office in Temple's Welcome Center, a hot spot in March and April when many high school upperclassmen and their families check out colleges during spring break and on long holiday weekends. The Office of Undergraduate Admissions has reported a surge in attendance at many admissions events. Gains were particularly strong at open houses. More than 5,700 visitors attended open houses in fall 2008, destroying catapulting over last year's record attendance of 3,900. At this February's "Experience Temple" day for admitted students, more than 1,350 visitors showed up. Of the 480 students who attended, 25 liked what they saw so much that they submitted deposits the very same day. A campus visit helped Temple freshman Ann Dinh make her decision. "I was very pleased," Dinh said about her weekend tour. "I had wanted an urban school, and had gone to other campuses before. Temple had a nice campus vibe. I was glad to see the new construction; it showed me that Temple was actively improving itself. My parents liked the blue safety lights and the police station in the middle of campus." The flood of visiting prospective students has been matched by increases in freshman applications in recent years. Temple received a record high of 18,670 completed freshman applications in fall 2008, up 11 percent compared to five years ago and nearly 66 percent compared to 10 years ago. |
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 Photo by Ryan S. Brandenberg/Temple University
Prospective students are led on a campus tour by Temple Owl Ambassador, Sara Hanson.
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Although she acknowledges that tough economic times have made families more conscious than ever of Temple's superb educational value for the dollar, Mendrinos thinks there are other reasons for the university's broadening popularity. "From my personal experience, people are drawn to the urban location, the great new facilities, the vibrancy of the campus, the diversity of the people and the quality and variety of the academic programs," she said. Owl Ambassador Kara Snyder, a senior in the School of Communications and Theater, agrees. |
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| "Temple is a good value, but I don't think the price tag is the first thing on students' minds," said Snyder, who has been leading tours of Main Campus since her freshman year. "People respond to the whole package: the state-of-the art buildings, the study abroad opportunities, the city, the job opportunities, the diversity. The fact that it's a bargain is a bonus." Results from recent Temple surveys of new students seem to support what tour guides are hearing from visitors. Since 2003, Temple's "social atmosphere" and "urban location" are the fastest-rising "very important positive factors" impacting new students' decision to attend Temple, joining "variety of programs," "affordable tuition," and "reputation of the student's specific major at Temple" among the top five positive factors in the fall 2008 new student survey. One person who isn't surprised by Temple's ascent as a destination for prospective students on college tours is Jon Grabelle Herrmann of Campus Philly, a regional non-profit partnership created to foster campus visits, enrollment, student life and retention of graduates. "Philadelphia has a local, national and international reputation as a great college town," Hermann said. "Students these days are clearly interested in going to school in cities because they offer a diverse and rich cultural experience. With its proximity to Center City, more opportunities to live on or near campus, and the move of the Tyler School of Art to North Philadelphia, Temple is in a great position to take advantage of the popularity of Philadelphia and urban campuses in general." The rapid growth in campus visitation doesn't just boost Temple's application numbers. It also helps stimulate the regional economy. According to the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation, out-of-town leisure visitors spend an average of $303 each visit in area hotels, restaurants and stores. |
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