Hawai'i colleges see growth in applications

By Beverly Creamer
Advertiser Education Writer

A boom in applications for the fall semester is hitting Hawai'i college admissions offices — just as it is at schools across the country.

Even at Brigham Young University-Hawai'i, with a capped enrollment of 2,350, application numbers are five times higher than spaces available in the freshman class — amounting to a 266 percent increase over applications five years ago.

However, attendance can be affected by everything from economics to the fear of terrorism to foreign travel restrictions created by SARS.

"So far everything is indicating we will have a record year for fall ... but we talk about 'melt' — how much that applicant pool melts away," said Scott Stensrud, associate vice president for enrollment management at HPU.

"More and more students are double-committing," Stensrud said. "They're telling two schools they're coming and making double deposits. That's much more prominent nationwide than 10 or 15 years ago."

But with Mainland schools trimming programs because of budget restrictions and toughening financial rules governing out-of-state students, Hawai'i colleges also say they're seeing early indications that an increasing number of students are looking more favorably at staying home. The reasons run the gamut, from economic considerations to concerns about security, to the increasing prestige of programs in Hawai'i.

UH-Manoa, for instance, has moved up to 61st of the top 100 institutions (from the 70s a few years ago) for financed research — an indication of increasing excellence — while Chaminade continues dominance in forensic science and HPU has recently signed an agreement with Oceanic Institute to broaden marine science programs.

"So many of the top students use Manoa as their backup," said Karl Kim, interim vice chancellor for academic affairs at Manoa. "We won't know who's going to be here until September, but we do know that admissions are up. Whenever that happens the quality of students tends to go up."

For Justin Truong, a 16-year-old Maryknoll graduate who skipped two grades, a combination of factors will keep him in Hawai'i, including his age and that he eventually hopes to go to the John A. Burns School of Medicine at UH.

"My parents think I'm too young to go away, which is probably true," Truong said. "But I feel I'm going to get a good education here. Maybe after I'm 18 I'll transfer to a Mainland college just for the experience, but I really like living here. And it's economics, too. My parents are first-generation, and they came from Vietnam with no bonds saved up. So it would be pretty difficult to pay 30 grand on the Mainland."

Davinia Yalimaiwai, a 17-year-old McKinley High graduate, never considered going away, though her 3.87 grade-point average would have made her competitive anywhere.

"I didn't want to have to adjust to a new environment and college, too, at the same time," said Yalimaiwai, who won a President's Scholarship at HPU that pays 100 percent of her tuition and is renewable annually. "Another consideration is I'm majoring in pre-med and at HPU they actually have a pre-med major and not many schools do."

Cost factors were also a big consideration because Yalimaiwai hopes to go to Johns Hopkins Medical School when she graduates from HPU, but didn't want to carry a job as well as studies during her undergraduate years.

Seventeen-year-old Maryknoll graduate Jonathan Cabral changed his college plans because of his concerns about the airline industry. Since childhood he has wanted to be a pilot, but now he's unsure as he waits for the industry to turn around.

"I've decided to stay here and get a degree in something else," Cabral said. "I didn't know what else I wanted so I figured I'd just stay home and let things settle down and get all the core classes in."

Of the 139 members of the Saint Louis senior class, 21 percent are going to Mainland colleges in the fall compared with 32 percent last year and 46 percent in 2001, said Jane Mondoy, Saint Louis vice president for academics. Mondoy said those staying here are being lured by attractive Hawai'i programs, such as the exchange programs through UH that allow students to experience schools in other parts of the world at a fraction of the cost of Mainland colleges.

"Recently the University of Hawai'i is becoming a school of choice in the top three for our top students," Mondoy said. "I don't know if it's because of 9-11, or if staying closer to home is financially more suitable for family incomes. We're starting to see that trend, but it's really unscientific."

A similar blip is occurring in the Maryknoll graduating class, with "a few more choosing UH-Manoa," than a year ago, said vice principal Evanson Chang. About half the class will stay at home, which is fairly typical, Chang said, although the numbers are edging up.

At Punahou, Iolani and Mid-Pacific, there's little change in the percentage of graduates going away to Mainland schools compared to those staying home next year.

"Given the uncertainty and economic uncertainty, we're a little surprised more kids aren't staying here," said Punahou college counselor Barbara Tannehill. "We thought it would increase, but it hasn't really changed."

At Punahou 10 percent to 15 percent of the graduating class goes to UH each year. This year is no exception, and Ali Marumoto, who teaches an Advanced Placement biology class, has heard students speak favorably of going to UH in the fall.

"I would say the majority still think it's better to go away," said Marumoto, whose father is a UH professor and department chairman. "But given that predisposition, the college (counseling) program leads them into realizing UH isn't a disappointment. ... The prestige of staying home at UH is higher than it was."

Meanwhile, HPU is welcoming new groups of visiting students through its doors every day, and will be doing the same thing in the coming weeks.

"We have an increase of visits and students going on campus," Stensrud said. "But you still wait until they register for classes and that first day comes around and their butt's in that chair."

Reach Beverly Creamer at bcreamer@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8013.