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Freshman Applicants Applying to Multiple CU Campuses
1991, 1996, and 2001

• Data source was SURDS applicant files for calendar years 1991, 1996, and 2001 (three terms for each year).
• Overall, there has been a marked increase in numbers applying to multiple campuses, from 466 in 1991, to 622 in 1996, then to 1,081 in 2001, but that is almost entirely a reflection of higher numbers of applicants, period. The percentages of applicants applying to multiple campuses has increased only slightly over the years, for the most part. Boulder has remained fairly flat, and Colorado Springs has increased by 6 (NR) and 8 (Res) percentage points. Denver has shown a larger increase in percentage of its applicants who apply to multiple campuses - 16 percentage points for nonresidents, 10 for residents. See Table 1.
• Denver has the largest percentage of applicants who are multiples, followed by Colorado Springs, with Boulder far behind. See Table 1.

Table 1. Percentage of freshman applicants who apply to multiple CU campuses, by residency and year.

• The most common combination of campuses for nonresidents applying to multiple CU campuses is Boulder/Colorado Springs, followed by applying to all 3 campuses. The most common combination for residents is Boulder/Denver, followed by Boulder/Colorado Springs. Comparatively few residents apply to all three campuses. The numbers of residents applying to Boulder/Colorado Springs and to all three campuses have increased markedly over the last decade, while the number applying to Boulder/Denver has shown a relatively small increase. See Table 2.

Table 2. Number of applicants at each combination of campuses, by residency and year.

• The Boulder admit rate for freshmen applying to multiple CU campuses was much lower than the overall Boulder admit rate in each year studied. In 2001, for example, the admit rate was 44% for nonresidents and 60% for residents, compared to overall admit rates of 78% and 81% for nonresidents and residents, respectively. (Note that admit rates are calculated as a percentage of all applicants, even those that may not present complete credentials.)
• The Boulder yield for nonresident admits who applied to multiple CU campuses was higher than the overall nonresident yield in 2001 (32% vs. 24%); for residents the yield was lower (43% vs. 53%). The same pattern also occurred in the two earlier years.
• Nonresidents admitted to Boulder and another CU campus(es) are 2 to 4 times more likely to enroll at Boulder than at the other CU campus. Residents admitted to Boulder are also more likely to enroll at Boulder than at the other campuses, but only by a factor of 1.2-1.8. See Table 3 below.

Table 3. Freshman apps, calendar year 2001, admitted to multiple CU campuses

Perry Sailor and Lou McClelland
December, 2001 - L:\ir\emgt\adm\multapp.doc

Last revision 05/24/07