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Prospective Students, Their Parents Might Reconsider Their School Choice

Posted on: Tuesday, 17 April 2007, 06:00 CDT

By Stephanie Armour

The shootings at Virginia Tech on Monday may cause prospective college students to re-evaluate a university associated with such a tragedy.

College admissions advisers also say large public universities such as Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., tend to weather such recruiting challenges better than smaller, private colleges heavily dependent on tuition.

Felicia Stumpo, 17, is a high school student at Ursuline Academy in Wilmington, Del., who was recently accepted to Virginia Tech and had planned to visit the school this weekend. That trip has now been postponed. Stumpo is deciding between Virginia Tech and two other schools. She says the school's academic reputation still makes it an attractive option.

"Unfortunately, I think this is the world we live in, and it could happen anywhere," Stumpo says. "I'd be a little bit scared about safety, but you have to put that aside. Once I visit, I'll be able to make a decision."

Some students say they wouldn't expect other prospective freshmen to shun the school because many of today's students are familiar with violence, such as the Columbine High School shooting.

Lauren Hudson, 18, who was accepted via early admission to Virginia Tech, wonders how the shootings will affect the mood of the school when she begins Aug. 20. She is a senior at Broad Run High School in Ashburn, Va.

"I was kind of shocked. I thought security would be tight," Hudson says. "It's going to be a different experience, but I'm not really worried."

Virginia Tech, founded in 1872, has more than 25,000 full-time students, making it one of the largest full-time student populations in the state.

The shootings come at a critical time in the admissions process: Potential freshmen were notified of acceptance by April 1 and have until May 1 to tell the school whether they will enroll.

Some say the tragedy will affect enrollment.

"The magnitude of this is so huge. It unfortunately (shifts enrollment) to (schools in) small, private, non-urban areas," says David Hawsey, vice president for enrollment at Albion College in Albion, Mich.

"We will have parents calling and asking more questions about safety. It should not reflect on the academics and curriculum of the university. They need our support."

Students who have been through the college selection process say they don't think this will hurt Virginia Tech's enrollment.

"I don't think safety is on most students' radars. Safety is more of an issue for parents, and even then it's for peace of mind," says Ian Norland, 22, a University of Idaho senior who is majoring in public relations and Spanish.

"I don't think it would affect my decision either way. Things like this are just random. There's no 'bad luck' school."

Another potential fallout: Parents, who often influence their children's educational decisions, may have more worries.

"It might make a difference to parents, and parents in the short term may have more interest in safety practices," says Renee Goldberg, director of Newton, Mass.-based Educational Options, a consultancy that helps students with college and high school placement. "Some parents will want to keep their children closer. There's more anxiety today." (c) Copyright 2005 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.

Source: USA TODAY

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