Freshmen enrollment soars

ABOUT 12,000 freshmen students have enrolled in UST for the semester, the Office for Admissions said.

Admissions director Mecheline Zonia Manalastas said the University expected only 10,170 students to confirm. But as of May 19, those who have confirmed their enrollment reached 10,263. Last year, freshmen enrollment was pegged at 11,756.

The numbers were expected to increase as late enrollees from here and abroad would still be entertained in June, she added.

Manalastas said the University’s ability to accommodate more students without neglecting the quality of instruction is one of the reasons why UST continues to attract a great number of enrollees.

Each college has its own projected number of sections based on the number of classrooms and facilities it can provide to students.

“Each department only accepts the number of students it can accommodate (so as to ensure quality education),” Manalastas said.

The numbers of students range from 45 to 50 per section. The Faculty of Engineering has the highest target with 40 first-year sections.

The Conservatory of Music has the least with five sections.

Rounding up the number of freshmen sections per faculty or college this academic year were the College of Commerce, 24; AMV College of Accountancy, 23; Faculty of Pharmacy, 17; College of Science, 16 and the College of Fine Arts and Design, 14. The Colleges of Architecture, Education, Nursing and the Faculty of Arts and Letters have 12 sections each while the College of Tourism and Hospitality Management has 10. The College of Rehabilitation Sciences has seven.

Manalastas confirmed that for this academic year, “all colleges have already met their target and even beyond what they had expected.”

Meanwhile, Rehabilitation Sciences has added a new program called Speech and Language Therapy, which has one section.

Despite the implementation of a five percent tuition fee increase, Manalastas observed that parents “seem not to be affected by the economic crisis.”

“Parents (particularly Thomasian graduates) want their children to be molded not just intellectually but spiritually through UST’s Theology subjects,” Manalastas said.

Why UST?

Rodolfo Clavio, University registrar, believes UST is able to draw thousands of students because of the University’s good reputation.

Manalastas added that UST’s image and the accomplishments of its students are also factors contributing to the growing Thomasian community.

“We do not sell the University. It is more of giving information through flyers and brochures, career orientations and a video presentation. We let them know what it means to be a Thomasian,” Manalastas said.

Emilio Gonzales, father of an incoming B.S. Biology freshman, said his son chose to study in UST because of the University’s “notable Medicine program.”

Gonzales said he is aware of the “frequent flooding scenario” in campus but his son’s decision still prevailed.

Grace Tadeo, an incoming psychology freshman, also enrolled in UST because of the “quality of Thomasian education.”

According to Steve Moore, marketing assistant at the Admissions Office, 261 schools were visited by the University in Luzon alone. Testing centers were also established abroad with nine in the Middle East and three in Nigeria.

Meanwhile, the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, College of Nursing, College of Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Architecture, and the Faculty of Pharmacy implemented an online enrollment scheme.

But despite being one of the top universities in Asia, UST is not always the first choice of students and parents.

“Sometimes, students only confirm in UST to have assured slots in case they fail to meet their preferred school’s cut-off,” Manalastas said.

Clavio echoed Manalastas’ claim, saying that UST being a second choice has something to do with tuition in elite and exclusive schools which “may be beyond the financial capability of some parents.”

“If they could not afford La Salle or Ateneo, UST would be their next resort,” Clavio said.