Tag Archives: admission

Strategic Updates Archive

Painting the town blue

During the next five weeks, Drake will be on display with several billboard advertisements in the downtown area. This is part of the University’s admission efforts and the ads will be prominently displayed during the many high school athletic tournaments taking place in the metro, including state wrestling and girls’ and boys’ basketball state tournaments. These new advertisements declare our Bulldog pride and share with prospective students the outcomes they can expect by attending Drake. See example below:

15-16.7724 Undergrad Billboard Advertising_1400400

Strategic Updates Archive

From the Provost: Sept. 21

Fall 2015 Enrollment
Last week we took the official enrollment census for the Fall 2015 semester. This fall, we welcomed 803 first-year students and 117 transfer students to Drake. They are among the 3,338 full- and part-time undergraduate students at Drake (compared to 3,364 in 2014). In addition, we have 1,653 full- and part-time graduate students distributed across various programs: graduate (887), law (330), and Pharm.D. (436). Overall, our student population is 4,991, compared to 5,062 last year, continuing a downward trend in total headcount over the past few years. This trend can be attributed to the dip in first-year students (which we knew about last spring) and continued lower enrollments in law and graduate programs. However, law appears to be stabilizing, and has seen an increase in part-time enrollment due in part to the new Master of Jurisprudence. Our first- to second-year retention rate continues to be strong. For the second year in a row we are above 88 percent—88.4 percent to be exact. This is good news, and it shows the impact of special efforts we are making, such as proactive advising and working with open-enrolled students.

Drake Social Club—Reminder
I am pleased to invite you to the inaugural Drake Social Club, sponsored jointly by the Offices of the Provost and the Chief Financial Officer. The event will be held this Thursday, Sept. 24, 4–6 p.m. in Shivers Hospitality Suite, adjacent to The Knapp Center. Attendees will receive two complimentary tickets for beer or wine. Water, soda, etc., are also on the house. Nearby parking is available in Lot 2 east of Shivers at the NE corner of Forest and 25th Street.

There will be no speeches, no presentations, no power points, no need to register or RSVP, and no agenda other than casual conversation and better acquaintance. Please feel most welcome, even if you can only come for a short while. Depending upon the response, this is an event we hope to repeat periodically throughout the year.

Open Office Hours
This week appearing at the Cowles Café, 2–3:30 p.m., Friday, Sept. 25

—Submitted by Joe Lenz, Interim Provost

Campus Announcements Archive

Iowa Private College Week recap

A total of 455 prospective students and their families visited Drake Aug. 3–7 for Iowa Private College Week. They enjoyed beautiful weather, and the giant blow-up Spike out on the lawn by Cole Hall was a fun photo op.

The Office of Admission would like to extend a thank you to all who helped make the week a success, including 25 faculty members, 40 Drake students, and 50 staff members and administrators. Additionally, the Office of Alumni Relations welcomed graduates and legacies back to campus daily at the Alumni House.

Due to the impressive number of Drake students who assisted with tours, tour size remained small, which is imperative for a quality tour experience.

“We received many positive comments from prospective students and families about how much they appreciated the opportunity to learn about a specific area of study through a visit with a faculty member. Hosting nine academic breakout sessions and small campus tour sizes for ten visit programs in five days is a reflection of the campus-wide team approach to recruitment that is a hallmark of Drake University,” said Deneen Dygert, associate director of admission.

The Office of Admission will continue to welcome prospective students and their families on an individual basis, Monday–Friday, throughout the rest of the year. The next visit programs are Campus Preview Days (Oct. 12 and Nov. 9) and Campus Preview Half-Days (Oct. 15 and Oct. 16).

—Submitted by Lilianna Bernstein, assistant director, admission

Featured Events Archive

Iowa Private College Week is Aug. 3–7

The big blow-up Spike in addition to more than 100 faculty, staff, and current students will welcome nearly 500 prospective students and families next week, Aug. 3–7, as part of the 17th annual Iowa Private College Week. Each day, visit programs will begin at 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. in Sheslow Auditorium. Students and families will enjoy music from Drake student jazz musicians, a welcome from President Martin, academic overviews that represent nine areas on campus, an admission overview, student panel, and campus tour during their visit to Drake.

“Iowa Private College Week is a true reflection of Drake’s collaborative approach between faculty, staff, and students in welcoming prospective students to campus,” says Deneen Dygert, associate director of admission. “Having nine academic sessions twice a day for a total of ninety a week is a statement about how invested the Drake community is in the recruitment of new students. It will be an exhilarating week as we execute ten visit programs and welcome approximately 500 families.”

News & Achievements Archive

Drake news

Drake’s Actuarial Science program had plenty to celebrate this month, including a $1 million gift from Sammons Enterprises, Inc., and a renewed Center for Actuarial Excellence designation from the Society of Actuaries. Meanwhile, Drake adopted a new test-flexible admission policy, allowing prospective students to choose whether to submit a standardized test result as part of their application. The Iowa Caucus Project launched in July; the site, which will be run by students, will serve as an information and news resource on the upcoming Iowa caucuses.