Deferment unaffected in tough economy

Freshman Ellen Barlow didn’t plan to start college this year.

Barlow apprenticed at the North Carolina Dance Theatre and the Tulsa Ballet Theatre in her two years after graduating high school in 2006, living on her own and preparing with the dance companies for future employment. 

She auditioned for numerous ballet companies, but there were no jobs available. After gaining acceptance into IU’s ballet program, she decided to attend college. 

“I’m having the same college experience now,” Barlow said. “I’m just going about it a little differently.”

At IU, admissions department representatives said the number of deferred admissions has not changed drastically in recent years, but the economic recession is affecting IU in many other ways.

“From an admissions standpoint, we are up,” said Richard Thompson, vice provost for enrollment management. “The quality and diversity of students interested in IU has increased, but it is difficult to determine how many of those applicants will actually enroll.” 

One of the major differences the admissions department has seen this year is a decrease in the number of deposits, but it is still early enough that the decline isn’t a matter of concern yet, Thompson said.

He also said the number of students filing for financial aid at IU increased 11 percent with this application cycle, most likely due to the nation’s unstable economic situation.  

“We’re certainly cautiously optimistic about the freshman class, but there’s a lot of things in the mix we haven’t seen for decades,” Thompson said.

With the May 1 enrollment deposit date approaching, many high school seniors are now making their final college decisions.

Laura Hillebrand, a high school senior from Elmhurst, Ill., visited IU last week as part of the Hoosier Overnight Student Team program. She said she never thought about taking a year off before college.

“During high school, my parents always pressured me to get good grades, and 95 percent of my school goes to college, so I just assumed I’d go too,” Hillebrand said. She said though she would not be taking a gap year, she could see it as a viable alternative for some. 

“It’s better if you are figuring out what you want to do, and it might make you more motivated when you come back,” Hillebrand said.

Barlow said taking time off before starting college was actually a rewarding experience, and she said she doesn’t think it has set her back in any way this year. She said living by herself in the city gave her the chance to be independent before coming to college. 

“It showed me there’s a bigger world out there than college,” Barlow said.