IU Bloomington is home to more Indiana students than any other college or university. In fact, incoming freshmen represent all 92 counties in the state.
This year brings our largest freshman class ever: 8,097. It’s also one of the highest achieving, with a median GPA of 3.83 and an average SAT/ACT composite score of 1292. We have a record 1,358 underrepresented students, a 9 percent increase from last year. And more than 11 percent of the class are first-generation college students.
Emma Giglio, Class of 2022
Elementary Special Education
Vevay, Indiana
Emma had her heart set on IU. To make sure she had a complete application and her best chance at admission, she reached out to Hilary, the admission counselor for Switzerland County. Hilary answered Emma’s questions, listened to her concerns, and stayed in touch throughout the application process. Emma was admitted—and she was awarded the IU Bicentennial Scholarship to help with tuition costs. Now a freshman, she’s looking forward to student teaching and other in-classroom experiences through the Teaching All Learners (TAL) program.
I really wanted to be here. When I got my admission packet, I was ready to pack my bags and go!
The Office of First Year Experience Programs (FYE) created Hoosier Experience, a yearlong program designed to engage students in meaningful campus-related events throughout their freshman year. Events are grouped into four categories:
Students can receive the First-Year Hoosier Experience Achievement Award for attending just six Hoosier Experience featured events, which FYE encourages students to list on job/leadership applications and resumes.
The FYE conference brought together 251 participants from more than 40 IU departments and included sessions on facilitating civil conversations, navigating the student conduct process, and working across generations.
Christy Carlson, Class of 2022
Informatics
Bellevue, Washington
A direct admit into the School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering, Christy came to IU to start preparing for a tech career right away. She hit the ground running, learning two coding languages in her first month here. Another reason she chose IU, though, is the limitless flexibility. So while she’s intensely working on her major, she’s also taking classes in topics like archery and ancient leadership—and meeting new friends along the way.
IU feels like a small school and you can make it your own, but it’s actually huge and there’s a ton of opportunities to explore your interests.
Bicentennial County scholarships provided funding to more incoming freshmen from historically underrepresented counties throughout Indiana. This year, 127 students from the 25 designated counties received a $2,500 annual award—$10,000 over their four years at IU.
The Offices of Admissions and Scholarships collaborated with First Nations organizations to establish relationships with historically underrepresented students from First Nations communities in various places, including Oklahoma. Admissions and Scholarships also invited Indiana students to Hoosiers Huddle with the Pacers, an event that allowed students and parents to meet with IU representatives prior to enjoying a complimentary NBA game.
OEM also engaged in successful efforts to reach underrepresented students from Indiana and across the country using digital engagement. Through ads on various social media platforms, we brought thousands of unique views to the Admissions website, generating hundreds of recruitment prospects. Many of them downloaded a brand-new publication containing practical advice for navigating the college application process.
$317,500Bicentennial Scholarship funds awarded to incoming freshmen
$383 million+TOTAL FINANCIAL AID AWARDED TO UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS
The Office of Student Financial Assistance transitioned to a paperless system for financial aid appeals processes, eliminating the burden on students to print and mail materials.
Dana Nissan, Class of 2021
Psychology
Dillon Nissan, Class of 2020
Finance
Port Washington, New York
Growing up in New York, siblings Dillon and Dana Nissan had never heard of Indiana University. But when Dillon discovered the Kelley School of Business, he immediately pictured himself here. Now he studies the mathematics behind decision-making with the Applied Game Theory Club and the Research and Trading Club. With support from professors and advisors, he’s preparing to turn these skills into a successful career—he’s already studying for the Series 7 exam.
Dana hoped to attend a small school close to home—until she visited Dillon and felt IU’s welcoming atmosphere. By working in a research lab starting in her freshman year, volunteering with the Boys & Girls Club, and serving on the Scholarship Advisory Committee, Dana finds new ways every day to get involved and make a big school feel small.
The idea of premed used to scare me. My advisors, career coaches, and professors all helped me find the right direction, and I’m excited about my future.
–Dana
OEM moved to an enterprise system for eTranscripts, simplifying the transcript process and allowing OEM staff who historically supported this system to focus on other responsibilities. Many students also took advantage of pre-registration, signing up for several first-semester classes before they arrived at New Student Orientation—and improving the effectiveness of their NSO advisor appointment.
By implementing AcademicWorks, a system-wide scholarship management system, the Office of Scholarships processed more than 10,000 scholarship applications with greater efficiency. And OEM reached further into the capabilities of Slate and Salesforce—the CRMs for prospective and current students, respectively—to establish and nurture important relationships. Hundreds of events and more than 12 million emails launched from Slate alone during 2017–2018, while Salesforce helped standardize our emails (more than 665,000 of them) to current students, faculty, and staff.
33%average growth in social media audience over previous year
38%increase in conversions through virtual campus tour
Student Central’s virtual advisor, created in 2016, saw a staggering 171% increase in traffic in the last year, answering more than 81,000 questions so that OEM staff could focus on walk-ins, phone calls, and emails. Since 2017, Student Central has seen:
5%decrease in the number of phone calls
11%decrease in the number of walk-ins
4%decrease in the number of emails received
We also simplified the notification process for admitted students. Admission letters now contain scholarship notifications, helping students to make more informed decisions at an earlier date.
Jonathan Batts, Class of 2020
Accounting and Finance
Carmel, Indiana
For Jonathan, IU is a family tradition. He is following in his parents’ and brother’s footsteps—and forging his own path. He has participated in business workshops in New York City and recently scored an internship with JPMorgan Chase. In addition to preparing for his own success, Jonathan helps other Hoosiers succeed by serving as a Kelley Guide and a member of the Scholarship Advisory Committee. Up next? A semester abroad in Seville, Spain. So he’ll have hands-on experience and a global perspective before he even graduates.
Through Hudson & Holland and Herbert Presidential Scholars, I’ve met so many people and expanded my network outside my major.
For the first time, OEM has a centralized marketing team. Staff from various areas within OEM were realigned into the Strategic Communications and Marketing team, which now produces print, video, and digital communications for all OEM offices.
The Office of Admissions also experienced a shift: administrative staff are now located in a newly renovated building at the corner of Third and Mitchell Streets. The new Office of Admissions Welcome Center in historic Ernie Pyle Hall welcomes future Hoosiers in the heart of campus, with state-of-the-art presentation technology and easy access to the IMU and other amenities.
