With prospective college freshmen across the nation sending in their deposits to the schools of their choices, Temple's Office of Undergraduate Admissions is beginning to get a sense of the fall 2010 freshman class. The preliminary forecast, officials say, is good.

At Temple, deposits from admitted freshmen are up 3 percent compared to the same time last year — a significant increase given that 2 percent fewer students were admitted.

"Students and their families are responding positively to what we're telling them about the Temple experience. They're visiting campus in record numbers, and they like what they see," said William N. Black, senior vice provost for Enrollment Management at Temple. "We expect to hit our enrollment targets."

Deposits from admitted freshmen from Philadelphia and Pennsylvania are up 8 and 4 percent respectively compared to last year. Black noted that deposits are also up among admitted students from Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey and other states where residents pay out-of-state tuition rates — a powerful indicator of Temple's appeal, given that the current admissions cycle is the first to take place from start to finish under the cloud of an economic downturn.

"The freshman class of 2010 is on track to be as geographically and ethnically diverse as any we've ever seen," said Karin West Mormando, Temple's director of Undergraduate Admissions.

Undergraduate Admissions also is reporting significant increases in freshman deposits among children of alumni (up 21 percent compared to last year at this time) and employees (up 50 percent).