Excerpted from The Record, December 4, 2008

 

Public universities in North Jersey are fielding thousands more applications this fall as graduating high school seniors go bargain-hunting closer to home.

 

At William Paterson University, which has grown more competitive in recent years, applications are up 57 percent.  So far this year, 3,088 students have applied, compared with 1,967 last year.  And the March 1 deadline is still nearly three months away.

 

When jobs are scarce, more people choose to pursue degrees, said Provost Edward Weil.  "Public universities are competitive with and certainly as strong as - if not stronger than - some of the privates," he said.  "People are beginning to realize that, and that they are a better value for the education."

 

At Montclair State University, applications are up 44 percent, said Director of Admissions Jason Langdon.

 

Montclair, which typically enrolls 2,250 freshmen, has already received 5,905 applications.  This time last year 4,106 students had applied.

 

It's too soon to say whether more students are simply getting their applications in earlier than usual, said Langdon.  But open houses are breaking attendance records, and a deepening economic crisis seems certain to affect college choices.

 

"Students that might have been considering a small private school in Pennsylvania or New York that costs $40,000 a year, we might have been third on their list before.  Are we now No. 1 or 2?" he said.

 

New Jersey's average bill of $10,739 for tuition and fees at a public school is far less than at private schools, which cost $28,377 before room, board and books are figured in, according to a survey by the College Board.

 

At Rutgers University, applications have increased by 20 percent, with 22,761 applications for first-time freshmen, compared with 18,974 last year at this time, said Courtney McAnuff, vice president for enrollment management.  The freshman class is 6,200.

 

More students are naming the College of New Jersey in Ewing - the most selective of the state schools - as their top choice.  Applications marked "early decision," which obligate students to attend if accepted, are up 11 percent this year and 30 percent from two years ago, said spokesman Matt Golden.

 

The number of applications is up 15 percent so far this year at Ramapo College.  That's on top of a 14 percent increase last year, when 7,375 first-time and transfer students sought 900 spots in the freshman class, said Ricardo Ortegon, vice president for enrollment management.

 

Ortegon also noted that prospective students' SAT scores were higher, averaging 1,094 out of a possible 1,600 on the math and verbal sections, compared with 1,077 last year.  The college's open houses are selling out three weeks in advance.

 

Staff writer Patricia Alex contributed to this article.