Messenger - Vol. 1, No. 1, Page 4 Fall 1991 Freshman class size tops goal A larger than predicted freshman class is expected on campus this fall, even though national demographics show a decrease in 18-year-olds and high school seniors. The target number for the University was 3,000 incoming freshmen, and 3,293 had paid their deposit by Aug. 2, according to Bruce Walker, dean of admissions. "We have had a good year and are excited about exceeding our goal as some colleges are not filling their freshman classes. It shows that the University is a 'hot school,' and highly thought of," Walker said. The number of transfer students also has increased this year. As of early August, 714 transfer students were planning to attend the University. The target number was 650, Walker said. "We projected a total of 3,650 new students for the fall semester and we have exceeded that goal with slightly more than 4,000 qualified students who have indicated they will attend the University," Walker said. The University's successful recruiting efforts are bucking national trends. The National Center for Education Statistics projected a decline in the number of public high school graduates from 2.49 million in 1989 to 2.23 million in 1992. In Delaware, the number of high school graduates dropped 24 percent in 10 years, from a high in 1979 of 9,528 seniors to 7,215 in 1989.