Prospective Freshmen Want to Attend Bowie State University

Applications for Admission Surge

 

MEDIA CONTACT: David Thompson, dlthompson@bowiestate.edu, 301-860-4311

(BOWIE, Md.) – Some people use the late Congressman John Lewis’s words and call it “good trouble.” Others say we’re on a roll, but however you choose to describe the interest in attending Bowie State University, it’s all good.

Applications from prospective students to attend the university have increased dramatically year-to-date, up nearly 36 percent from a year ago. There are a number of factors, not just one reason, why there has been an increase in the number of students who want to attend Bowie State rather than other private or state institutions of higher education.

“Our applications have soared during the pandemic,” said Brian Clemmons, vice president of enrollment management. “We believe the increase is driven by a variety of facets including national attention on social justice concerns, COVID related stressors, and students taking more time to research information about Bowie State and other HBCUs,” he said.

There are colleges and universities across the nation still experiencing a decline in their applications and enrollment due to lingering pandemic concerns. Some students have decided to delay college and take advantage of increasing employment opportunities. Data from Bowie State, like many other HBCUs, shows application numbers going up not down.

“Our applications for admission have jumped from 12,000 to 15,000 per year which is great for the university,” said Clemmons. “The issue is that we can only accept 900 to 1,000 freshmen each year which means it behooves potential students to apply early in their senior year of high school. We’re growing and offering programs of study in cybersecurity, data analytics, and other disciplines that are attracting students to Bowie State,” he said.

The university is aggressively recruiting students from out-of-state as part of its strategic plan. In the last three years, the out-of-state student population has grown by 25 percent. Also showing consistent growth is Bowie State’s Latino population with many students coming from Montgomery College. The students have formed a Greek organization to support them in navigating through the university and promote Latino culture.

Efforts are also underway to increase the number of students attending graduate school at Bowie State. “We’re building out our online programs specifically for our graduate programs,” said Clemmons. “Our vision includes increasing graduate student enrollment dramatically. More students need to know that they can be enrolled in graduate school at Bowie State and take online courses from anywhere which is important in an increasingly remote world of work,” he said.

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About Bowie State University
Bowie State University (BSU) is an important higher education access portal for qualified persons from diverse academic and socioeconomic backgrounds, seeking a high-quality and affordable public comprehensive university. The university places special emphasis on the science, technology, cybersecurity, teacher education, business, and nursing disciplines within the context of a liberal arts education. For more information about BSU, visit bowiestate.edu.