The fall 2020 semester at SUNY Old Westbury is unlike anything that we’ve experienced before. Nearly all students are learning online while a handful are attending facilities-dependent courses on campus. Student housing is unavailable for the time being and athletics and recreational facilities are prohibited for the duration of the semester due to the coronavirus. As a result of the changes, graduate enrollment levels have increased while undergraduate enrollment has slightly decreased compared to previous years.
According to the US News overview of SUNY OW, enrollment numbers reached close to 5,500 students in 2019. When asked about the difference between the last fall semester and the current one, Frank Pizzardi, director of admissions at SUNY Old Westbury, said, “Compared to the same time last year, our overall undergraduate enrollment numbers are down approximately 6%. However, our graduate enrollment numbers are up 17% compared to the same time last year. But remember, these trends may be subject to wild, unknown, swings.”
“At this time, our freshmen enrollment is slightly down compared to last year. There have been some cases of students who have committed to other institutions contacting our office to re-activate their applications as other colleges and universities announce their fall opening plans,” Pizzardi explained. According to the New York Times, several colleges are experiencing a similar enrollment drop in freshman students, who may have chosen to wait until COVID-19 is contained to make decisions about college. Others have simply pulled their applications from certain schools after hearing that they are currently holding in-person classes and student housing. The pandemic has understandably changed the college experience, but many students are prioritizing the safety of themselves and those around them.
Summer 2020 classes did not take such a hit, as the majority of colleges offered strictly remote courses due to the severity of the pandemic at the time. Enrollment numbers for continuing students were the most significant increase, while the number of visiting students were slightly down. Pizzardi emphasized that it’s difficult to make predictions about where enrollment levels will stand in the coming semesters, but the trends do show that spring enrollment at SUNY Old Westbury is overall lower than previous ones.
