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Yearly Overview

Yearly Overview

Bring on Tomorrow

The Office of Enrollment Management began this academic year with the shared sense of excitement and purpose felt across Indiana University, driven by the vision outlined in the 2030 Strategic Plan. This plan laid out a bold and ambitious future for our institution and campus, guiding our efforts toward student success and opportunity; transformative research and creativity; and service to our state and beyond.

While the year presented many challenges—including successive delays in the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), shifting applicant behaviors, and changes in the overall application landscape—the clarity and focus provided by the 2030 Strategic Plan allowed the Office of Enrollment Management to confront these obstacles with resilience and adaptability. With this vision as our foundation, we navigated the complexities of the year, remaining committed to our mission and long-term goals—and ready to Bring on Tomorrow.

A class to celebrate

Applications for the Bloomington campus were up 25% from last year, and this year we were pleased to welcome an incoming class of 9,611 students— the campus’s second largest beginning class ever. This new class represents enrollment growth of 24% over the past decade.

This class is also academically outstanding, with 38% achieving a 4.0 grade-point average on a 4.0 scale in high school. There are 89 valedictorians in this year’s cohort, and 29% of the beginner students graduated in the top 10% of their high school class.

We welcomed 5,261 undergraduate beginner students from Indiana, and for the seventh consecutive year, we enrolled beginner students from all 92 Indiana counties, and a record-tying 48 states plus Washington, D.C. The number of undergraduate students of color from Indiana at IU Bloomington hit a record this year, up 9% from last year.

3.90median high school GPA

67%receiving gift aid

16%growth in class size over the past five years

Connecting with prospective students

This year, OEM has bolstered our efforts to recruit and enroll students with new initiatives and refined processes, all aimed at improving access, streamlining the application experience, and providing personalized support to prospective students.

Enrollment Planning and Research has secured a $500,000 ATI IDEAS Grant, which will allow the creation of IUBound, a new pipeline and support program designed specifically for low-income students. Starting in the eighth grade, IUBound will guide students through their journey all the way to IU graduation, reinforcing our commitment to expanding access and supporting student success.

The Office of Admissions has worked to simplify the application process for students, particularly those using the Common Application. By updating the essay requirements, the Office of Admissions made the process more straightforward, leading to an impressive 25% increase in first-year applications. In total, the office processed and reviewed over 67,000 applications, underscoring the success of these efforts.

Providing high-touch recruitment experiences that ensure students feel supported throughout their decision-making process remains a priority for OEM. The Office of Admissions has been busy helping students choose IU, with virtual and in-person outreach. In the lead-up to IU’s November 1 deadline, recruiters participated in over 775 high school visits and over 120 college fairs and special programs hosted by outside organizations. The Office of Admissions and the Office of Scholarships, as always, host a full suite of admitted student events and scholarship events.

In addition, the Office of Admissions and the Office of First Year Experience Programs launched ZeeMee as a premiere engagement platform for admitted and enrolling students, making IU the first institution in the Big 10 to adopt this tool. Admissions also expanded the Precollege Academy and the College Advising Corps with the support of a Balfour Grant and introduced a new Senior Week celebration in fall 2023 as part of Indiana College Go Week, providing high school seniors more opportunities to visit campus.

OEM has also updated some of our internal recruitment processes to improve efficiency and institutional alignment. The Office of Admissions revised their file review process to include the IU 2030 core principles as part of holistic application review. Additionally, starting August 1, 2024, the Office of Admissions assumed responsibility for managing the admissions application and review process for intercampus transfer students, further streamlining institutional processes for consistency.

Supporting student enrollment

While this year posed unique challenges for student enrollment, the Office of Enrollment Management used these challenges as an opportunity to address Federal delays, improve orientation, and enhance our student communications. These initiatives helped us meet students where they are, prevent enrollment "melt," and streamline the transition to IU for incoming students.

This year’s FAFSA timeline proved especially difficult, with numerous significant delays that complicated students’ decision-making processes. In response to these delays and changes, the Office of Admissions extended the Intent to Enroll deadline to June 1 for the fall 2024 cohort, providing students additional time to manage their financial aid applications. The Office of Student Financial Assistance responded proactively to the largest overhaul of the federal aid system, ensuring minimal impact on students despite challenges with the FAFSA process. As of August 2024, OSFA successfully packaged aid for 20,360 enrolled students (a 2% increase over last year) and processed aid for 6,836 Pell Grant recipients (a 24% increase).

The Office of First Year Experience Programs reimagined New Student Orientation to better serve the diverse needs of our incoming students. A newly developed virtual orientation program, targeting transfer, international, and other students with unique needs, provided a more engaging online experience for 1,220 participants. The office also revised on-campus orientation to create a more participant-friendly flow, with Orientation Leaders guiding students through relevant conversations. The introduction of the IU Bloomington Survival Guide helped 8,677 new Hoosiers better navigate their transition, addressing their immediate needs and questions.

To streamline communications and support students during the application and enrollment process, Student Central collaborated with University Communications and Marketing and Undergraduate Education to implement an SMS (text message) campaign. This effort helped students register for summer courses and resolve past due balances, reducing barriers to continued enrollment. Beginning in July 2024, Student Central also assumed responsibility for the Office of Admissions and Scholarships Contact Centers, integrating key student services like admissions, financial aid, and bursar support into one central location. This integrated approach has improved the overall student experience by offering seamless, comprehensive assistance.

To enhance planning and increase summer enrollment, the Office of the Registrar also updated registration for current students—moving summer course registration from March to October. This shift allows students to plan their full academic year of courses earlier in the fall semester, helping them make more informed decisions about their coursework and scheduling.

As we focus on student success as part of the 2030 Strategic Plan, we are rethinking the ways that students might interact with the information they find in the course schedule, their transcript, and even their diploma. The Office of the Registrar—in partnership with Undergraduate Education and the Office of Student Life—facilitated and coded High-Impact Practices into the schedule of classes. Additionally, we partnered in the development of an experiential transcript, enhancing students' ability to reflect their applied learning experiences alongside their academic achievements. Overall, the Office of the Registrar coded 1,913 classes, with 8,229 enrolled students—totaling 21,905.5 credit hours.

The Office of the Registrar also piloted a new rich diploma. This digital diploma includes a Scholar Record that details the student's majors, participation in academic academies, and any certificates earned, providing a more comprehensive representation of their achievements.

Finally, to support the enrollment needs of faculty and staff, the Office of the Registrar and Enrollment Planning and Research created an online portal for final grade reporting. This portal facilitates communication with faculty teaching classes that include students enrolled from other Big Ten institutions through the Big Ten Academic Alliance.

Serving students

In our continued commitment to student success and engagement, our office continues to focus on understanding and addressing the unique needs of diverse student populations, expanding scholarship opportunities, and increasing students' connection to campus through meaningful events.

As we improve our understanding of the unique needs of different students, we also dedicate internal resources to improving our support programs for these students. The Office of First Year Experience Programs’ targeted Hoosier First Gen programming included an email campaign catered to first-gen students and their families, a special first-gen event during Welcome Week 2023, and promotion surrounding the National First Generation College Celebration. These efforts connected first-gen Hoosiers with faculty and staff who share their experience, fostering a sense of community and belonging. Additionally, the Office of First Year Experience Programs launched the Hoosier Link Peer Mentor program, which created post-transfer leadership opportunities for students and helped build stronger connections among peers. All but one Hoosier Link student successfully transferred to IU, with one student leaving voluntarily to join the USAF.

To enhance scholarship opportunities, the IU Foundation established the new Scholarships + Student Experience (SSE) Development Team to support OEM’s fundraising initiatives. These efforts raised more than $9 million for student scholarships this academic year. The Office of Scholarships also launched new scholarship opportunities, including the Lawhorn Family Scholarship and new Cox Scholarship opportunities for transfer students. To further strengthen relationships with alumni and donors, the Office of Scholarships hosted several events, including a dinner for MacDonald Scholars with Scott MacDonald, and a meeting between Annexstad Scholars and staff from the Annexstad Foundation. The Cox Scholars Program also held an alumni dinner in Chicago, with plans to expand to other cities.

To foster a deeper connection between students and the IU campus, the Office of First Year Experience Programs partnered with ongoing campus initiatives like Friday Finish (IU Libraries) and First Thursdays (IU Arts and Humanities). These collaborations included staffing information booths, promoting various events, and offering opportunities for students to engage with campus life through interactive activities, further enhancing their sense of belonging and involvement in the IU community.

Organizational improvements

To maintain our leadership in recruiting, enrolling, and supporting students, we continue to enhance the organization and processes within the Office of Enrollment Management. These improvements are essential to staying agile, efficient, and responsive to the needs of both students and staff.

This year saw the establishment of an internal OEM Human Resources team to support the ongoing hiring and promotion of staff throughout the organization. This new team ensures that we are better equipped to attract and retain talent, strengthening our capacity to meet our strategic goals.

Fiscal Affairs implemented an earlier departmental budget review process, allowing for better timing and coordination in overall budget construction. This proactive approach has resulted in more efficient resource allocation and financial planning across OEM.

Several key moves and space redesigns were successfully completed, optimizing our physical resources. The Office of First Year Experience Programs moved from Eigenmann Hall to Third and Mitchell, with the redesign of the Admissions and First Year Experience space still in progress. Additionally, the Office of Scholarships moved to the second floor of the Student Services Building, while the Administration team relocated to the third floor.

We have also realigned our Enrollment Management Technical Support team with UITS, ensuring seamless coordination while maintaining primary tech services within OEM. This reorganization enhances our ability to provide consistent and efficient technical support across the department.

As we look ahead, the Office of Enrollment Management remains committed to the transformative goals set by our OEM Strategic Plan. This year has shown that, while challenges in higher education will continue to emerge, our purpose and direction remain clear. Through innovation, collaboration, and a focus on student-centered solutions, we are prepared to adapt and excel—moving forward boldly to Bring on Tomorrow.

Learn more about the goals and accomplishments of the Office of Enrollment Management

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