Central Michigan University’s class of 2009 is expected to be the largest ever.

As of December, the number of applicants for freshman and transfer admission received in fall 2008 is up very slightly, 12,799 over 12,791 in December 2007.

The increase is slight but consistent with enrollment expansion trends according to Director of Undergraduate Admissions Betty Wagner.

“Central continues to be the third largest applicant school behind Michigan State and the University of Michigan,” Wagner said.

Transfer applications for spring also increased, 711 this semester over 639 last year, Wagner said.

Michigan State has had roughly 17,970 freshman applications submitted, and the U of M had around 18,846, Wagner said.

CMU’s numbers are higher than Grand Valley State University at 10,916 and Western Michigan University at 7,984, Wagner said, but they are still considered close competitors.

“Since the last count, over 1,000 new applications have come in, and the goal for the freshman class of 2013 is over 3,700,” Wagner said.

She said there are a number of reasons, including talk of the new medical school and the CMU football team in recent seasons, as to why the freshmen classes could be on the rise.

She said that competitive recruitment efforts continue to be necessary, especially now because of Michigan’s current economic troubles.

The deadline for freshmen applications is May 1, but the college will accept them on a rolling basis, she said.

Port Huron junior Geoffrey Wing, a recent transfer student from St. Claire County Community College, said CMU was the best fit for him.

“After attending St. Claire for a couple of years, I knew I had to transfer to a university for my degree. (I debated) between Northern Michigan, Michigan State, and Central, and CMU had the best location along with reasonable prices,” Wing said.

The application process wasn’t difficult at all, Wing said, and it only took a month and a half for CMU to send him an acceptance letter.

“I applied at the beginning of the fall semester and in no time my decision to go to Central was definite,” Wing said.

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E-mail the author: Chelsea White