rom the lush landscape to the many new buildings, an infrequent visitor might not recognize the University of Miami today. Beyond the physical transformation, another, quieter one has taken place. Like the royal palms and new facilities, academic quality has soared. Faculty have increased in number and stature. Research productivity has reached unprecedented heights. And undergraduate enrollment has become smaller and more selective. As a result, the undergraduate student body has changed significantly.

“As we’ve become much more selective, the quality of our student body has improved rather dramatically,” says Paul M. Orehovec, vice provost and dean of enrollments. Applications to the University have nearly doubled in less than ten years, from 7,122 in 1993 to 13,080 in 2000. (And while the number of high school graduates nationally has increased this past year by 1 percent, applications to UM have risen by 7 percent.) Since 1993, the number of applicants accepted at the University has been reduced sharply from 76 percent to 53 percent.

In terms of quality, the University of Miami’s typical entering freshman for fall 2000 possessed unprecedented academic credentials, with a high school grade point average of 3.9, a class ranking among the top 16 percent, and a score on the SAT near 1200.

The heightened quality among UM’s undergraduates is particularly remarkable considering the sobering national admissions trends. “Although we are seeing a growth in the number of high school students,” says Orehovec, “there are strong indications that many of them are going to be less able to afford a private education and less prepared academically.”

Orehovec’s statement is based on a wide range of demographic data, from family financial status, to health and socioeconomic research about tomorrow’s students. “If we want to know about next year’s 17-year-old and the experiences this age group has had, all we have to do is go back to some of the research that was conducted when these students were very young,” he explains. “There’s enough documentation showing that children who get off to a good, healthy start in their lives are probably going to be much more successful educationally than those who don’t.”

These studies reveal such things as how many books students read at the age of five, their preschool health status, and the presence of metal detectors in their schools. From these and other findings, reasonable assumptions about students’ academic readiness can be made. For example, students who read 50 books a year at age five, compared to those who read many fewer books, will probably be better prepared academically by the age of 17. Four-year-olds in “excellent health” are likely to do better in school, compared to children who are not as healthy. Elementary students who pass through metal detectors each day at school may suffer academically because of the disruptive learning environment.

Information about family financial background is routinely surveyed from students when they take the SAT. Nationally only 8 percent of last year’s SAT-takers scored 1200 or above and indicated a family income of $70,000 or more. In Florida these students numbered 3,590, and in Miami-Dade County, a mere 500.

From these and other findings “a picture can be painted” of the national prospective student population, Orehovec says. And that picture shows fewer students financially and academically prepared for college. For enrollment professionals like Orehovec, this means stiffer national competition for the most qualified students. So, to continually build quality and stability in the undergraduate enrollment, the University of Miami must work harder and look farther for the best students, in populated growth markets such as Texas and California.

“We’re still very much a Florida and Washington, D.C.-Boston corridor-type school, but there is a dramatic shift occurring,” says Edward M. Gillis, director of admission and associate dean of enrollments at the University. “We’re having a lot of success in the Midwest, Southwest, and West.” What’s more, international recruitment, long a strength of the University, continues to set records. “We’re enrolling more students from all over the world—not just the obvious locations like South America,” Gillis adds. “Europe and Asia are particularly strong for us.”

The enrollment figures for fall 2000 reflect these trends. Forty-five percent of new freshmen hailed from Florida, while 49 percent came to UM from other U.S. states and 6 percent from outside the United States. Overall, the University enrolls students from 50 states and more than 100 foreign countries.

ow does the University increase quality in an increasingly competitive market? One, a direct mail campaign is among the first to arrive in prospective students’ mailboxes. “We try to be the first one on the block,” says Orehovec, “because good students may hear from many colleges. When all those materials arrive, at some point, everyone starts throwing them away. But when you are the first, students will take a look at you.”

That was the case for Denver, Colorado, junior Jessica Segall. “My friends and I received information first from UM. Once I came to visit, I fell in love with the University, especially its size.”

Reaching out to students like Segall is a highly coordinated team of admissions professionals and volunteers. Admissions officers represent the University to thousands of students at college nights and fairs conducted nationally and internationally. Alumni attract students to the University, either by participating in a local chapter of Miami Circle, an alumni group dedicated to student recruiting, or on an individual or small group basis.

“Hundreds of alumni help by referring students to us,” says Gillis. “Alumni also attend scores of college nights and fairs. They meet with the families of prospective students. They host receptions in their homes for accepted students. And they provide scholarship funds.”

Sophomore Nikki Chun from Honolulu, Hawaii, is one example of an alumni recruit. She was encouraged to apply to UM by her high school science teacher, Joel Truesdell (B.S. ’78). Today Chun is one of 24 UM students from her state and the founding president of a Hawaii Club on campus.

But there is no better “sell” for the University than experiencing it firsthand. On-campus open houses are held throughout the year for prospective students, and campus tours and visits are conducted virtually 365 days a year.

Ben Young, a junior from nearby Fort Lauderdale, Florida, decided on UM while taking a tour as a high school sophomore. “At that time, I said, ‘I have to come to this school. This is it.’”

trong deciding factors for students in choosing UM are its academic program, ideal size, suburban location, quality of campus life, student diversity, and beautiful subtropical setting.

Marcy Delson, a junior from San Diego, California, immediately was impressed with the University’s size and how it promotes student involvement. “I knew I’d want to spend four years here. People are really involved, studying and enjoying their time at UM.”

Rich Paisner, a junior from Canton, Massachusetts, was looking for a university with a solid communication program and beyond his state’s traditional universities. The University of Miami’s diversity has been a plus. “I think if you attend a school that doesn’t offer diversity, you’re missing out,” he says. “You might as well stay where you are and get a degree through the mail. A large part of a college education is getting to know other people and getting to know yourself. You do that by meeting people who are different than you.”

Adds Young of Fort Lauderdale, “You learn so much just by living in the residential colleges. Last year I nicknamed my hall ‘international hallway.’ There were students from Trinidad, England, and Africa. The diversity is awesome.”

Says Orehovec, “The diversity issue is a real trump card for us. We are what other schools are striving to be or will be 20 years from now. Much of our diversity is ethnic, but it’s also in language and religion.”

He adds, “Nationally we’re getting a clear reputation that this is a school on the move—academically and otherwise. The image of an institution sometimes lags behind reality, but the markets we deal with—the students, the parents, and guidance counselors—are well aware of what’s going on here. And our alumni can feel very good about that.”

Elizabeth McKey is editor of Miami magazine. Photography by Donna Victor.