Colgate Reports Significant Increase in Black First-Year Students

Colgate University in Hamilton, New York, is reporting a large 51 percent increase in black first-year students this fall. This year there are 62 black freshmen at Colgate, comprising 7.3 percent of the incoming class. In the fall of 2009 there were 41 black freshmen at Colgate. One reason for the increase was a significantly higher black student yield, due in large part to a higher number of qualified black students who applied to Colgate’s early decision admissions plan.

Sue Dolly Lathrop, senior associate dean for admission operations, told JBHE that “Colgate’s efforts to recruit multicultural students have benefited from a growing commitment from the entire campus community to engage with students and their families during all phases of the admission effort. In addition, we have allocated more staff resources toward personal and frequent contact with identified prospective students and their families.”