Due to the high number of eligible students, CSUN is requesting that all first-time freshmen inform the univeristy by June 15th of their intent to attend in fall 2009.
Eric Forbes, director of CSUN’s Admissions and Records, considers this new requirement used across the California State University system an ‘RSVP.’ This notification ensures that first-time freshmen will have the right resources available to support their needs during their first term said Forbes.

Without this new requirement and the high number of eligible first-time freshmen, universities could run into issues that not only affect freshmen, but other students as well.
‘What we have is an inability to fund all those enrollments without reaching deep into the resources of the system, this would cause a quality problem,’ said Forbes.

In response to the system-wide impaction declared by CSU, CSUN has given priority admission consideration to freshman applicants who meet specific eligibility criteria.
High school graduates from Los Angeles and Ventura Counties are defined as Tier 1 applicants and receive priority consideration. Tier 2 applicants from outside these counties are evaluated based on a combination of their high school grade point average and test scores on the ACT or SAT. Even with these added consideration requirements, the number of eligible applicants remains high.

In addition to these new standards, CSUN has set a June 15 deadline for first-time freshman who have been admitted to inform the university of their intent to attend this fall. Incoming freshman have until 5 p.m. on Monday, June 15 to submit an online ‘intent to register.’

CSUN is taking in fewer students because of the state’s inability to provide additional funding for enrollment growth and inability to sustain the current level of services.
While Harry Hellenbrand, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, may not like the idea of accepting less students he said it’s necessary in order to attempt to provide the same level of education to enrolled students as they have in the past.

‘The irony of the situation is that in order to provide a quality education we need more money so we’re taking fewer students,’ Hellenbrand said. ‘I would really like more money but the other side of it is I’d rather take in more students.’

Forbes said reserving a spot in the university would stabilize the situation for first-time freshman because there are other deadlines that need to be met.

By June 13th, students have to satisfy entry level Math and English placement tests.
Ashley McClain, 17, who will be attending CSUN in the fall as a business marketing major, thinks that it’s a good idea that students inform the university if they decide to attend.

‘Universities need to know how many people are actually going to attend so that they can make the proper accommodations for special events and other things that involve first-time freshmen,’ said McClain. ‘Due to the hard economic times, the university needs to know how their finances are going to be because it costs money to run these institutions.’

On the other hand undecided student Adriana Parrish, 17, does not agree with the early June 15 deadline.

‘It’s difficult if you haven’t decided on which college you will be attending, especially when you have more than once choice,’ she said.

Forbes said that there may be an issue if more students file their intent to register for fall than actually attend. However, Forbes says this would be preferable to students filing and enrolling and in turn, not having enough resources to accommodate them. So far Forbes said they have been able to manage this issue.

Not only have the two tiers been beneficial in admitting new students into CSUN it has also help the university find out who will be attending this fall.

Based on the students who have already filed their intent, Forbes said students out of area or are in Tier 2 have been the least amount to file.

For first-time freshmen that have already registered, Forbes said that this has been beneficial because now freshmen are getting the chance to register earlier which is also giving them the chance to get advised and be more prepared.

‘This will benefit me because now I’ll be able to get more personalized attention and I can know what to expect and plan for my future endeavors,’ McClain said.

The CSU system has informed students about the deadline to file through high schools, letters and through the news.

Forbes said this will give students enough time to file before the deadline.
There are other measures that may apply if needed for students who can not make deadline.

Forbes said that other universities have attached a non-refundable deposit to the intention, but at CSUN that decision has not yet been determined.

All Eligible students are required to file an intent to register for the fall via their university-issued CSUN user ID and password no later than June 15th.