First-year student deposits are below what Miami University's Office of Admission usually expects for this time in the summer, but the office will accept deposits through August on a circumstantial basis.
These deposits serve as a final confirmation that new first-year students will attend Miami this fall.
The goal was to have 3,350 students after the May 1 deadline, but Miami fell short by approximately 50 students, according to Jen Herman, senior associate director of admission.
Three thousand three hundred (students is) what we were at this morning unofficially, that's where we were headed after the May 1 deadline," Herman said. "The fact that they keep coming in is good, 3,450 is the normal goal for the first-year class ... (it's) usually around that number."
The Office of Admission is working with students whose circumstances prevented them from making the deadline for paying the confirmation deposit.
The university expected some students would not be able to attend this year given the national economic circumstances and financial reasons, according to Herman.
She explained much of the feed-back from high school students unable to commit to Miami for next fall cited financial reasons.
"A lot of what we're hearing is that admission did everything right, Miami's a great place, they really want to come, (but) when they got down to it, it was a financial situation," Herman said. "Miami was their first pick, (but they) couldn't afford to go here this year (and had to) figure out what was the best for their family circumstances."
According to Herman, the Office of Admission is offering ex-tensions to students who need them and some students asking to deposit now in lieu of their dead-line are getting that opportunity.
"We are accepting those (who are now asking to deposit) for the most part," Herman said. However, first-year students are required to attend an orientation and register for classes by late August, according to Miami's Web site.
"At some point we have to draw the line to get in here and get settled," Herman said.
Herman also said students sometimes don't confirm until a week or two before classes begin.
Ann Larson, senior associate director in the Office of Admission, explained that Miami, as well as other universities, sees a "melt" through the beginning of the school year.
"There is a little melt where students have confirmed and don't come-that's a norm for every university," Larson said. "We expect that those (who have confirmed), some won't come. We're not sure if that melt will be greater or less ... (it's) such a precarious year because of the economy."
The Office of Admission began accepting waitlisted students after May 1, according to Christen Ormond, admission counselor at Miami.
"We accepted students last week, and we don't know what the entire class looks like yet," Ormond said.
According to Herman, Miami is holding where they were last year for international confirmations, has seen an increase in African-American confirmations, and although the deadline is not until July 1, transfer applications are up as well.
"We're up a little bit in African-American confirmations ... we're above where we were last year, especially with international confirmations," said Herman. "We're up in transfer applications as well."
The number of in-state, out-of-state and international students is yet to be determined according to the Office of Admission.
Herman said numbers for the demographic of the freshman class will be finalized approximately two weeks after classes have been in session in September.
"Usually after two weeks after classes have been in session, the university (Office of Institutional Research) does a count," Herman said. "That's when we have a final count."
This information for previous years' demographic counts can be found in the Miami University Fact Book or on Miami's Website.
According to Larson, the university has done quite a bit this year to reach out to the incoming first-year class to ensure commitment to Miami, including endorsing the letter-writing campaign organized by Associated Student Government.
"I hope that all that outreach has really convinced these students," Larson said. "I hope they have the opportunity to follow through be-cause it's a great experience here, it's a very special place. I have a very special place in my heart for this school."
