In this month’s missive from a member of the University’s leadership team, Director of Admissions Lisa Ellrich reports on her department’s efforts to recruit the Class of 2023, the Farmington is Family scholarship, and why alumni involvement is vital to Admissions’ success.
Greetings from the UMF Office of Admissions!
It’s been a very busy fall for the UMF Admissions Team as we have traveled throughout New England and beyond, meeting prospective students and their families. Through a combination of high school visits, college fairs, and private meetings, we have been in nearly 700 locations, sharing our love of Farmington and all the wonderful opportunities available through our outstanding programs.
“As we transition from the fall recruiting travel season to reading season, we are thrilled to see the applications piling up. More than 600 students have already applied as Early Action candidates.” — Lisa Ellrich, Director of Admissions
These visits have taken us from the crown of Maine to the far corners of New England. We have also visited a number of schools in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware, recruiting in communities that have sent us terrific students in recent years. Our staff of nine professionals has logged nearly 45,000 road miles, spreading great news about the University wherever we go.
Among the news we have the privilege of sharing with prospective students and their families is that UMF has, once again, been named one of America’s Best Colleges — for the 21st time since 1998. More specifically, we’re No. 4 among the top public regional colleges and No. 9 among public and private colleges in the north. We have also been recognized as a “Best Value School” and a “Best College for Veterans.” UMF was even ranked ninth in the Top 150 Baccalaureate Colleges in the U.S. by Washington Monthly. UMF is one of the great gems in higher education, and it’s wonderful to see the University gain national attention for its tremendous strengths and value.
One of our favorite things about fall admissions travel is being able to connect with UMF alumni and parents of UMF alumni. Many, many times this happens in high schools where we meet up with alumni who are making an impact in the classroom. On a recent trip to Baltimore to attend a national college admissions fair, I was overjoyed to board a shuttle to the car rental facility and spy a University of Maine at Farmington sweatshirt on the passenger seated directly across from me. The father of a UMF alumnus was delighted to talk about the wonderful experience his son had at Farmington. I took that as a sign that the trip was going to be a great success — and it was!
We are always looking to connect out-of-state alumni with our Farmington is Family scholarship program. This past year we enrolled six new first-year students who were able to take advantage of the “always in-state tuition rate” that we make available to children and grandchildren of UMF alumni.
I’m confident that number will continue to grow. In fact, the first application I read this season for the Class of 2023 was from a Farmington is Family candidate.
We are off to a great start in building the Class of 2023, and we appreciate all the support UMF Alumni provide us with encouraging the college-bound people in their life to apply. We would love to have alumni partner with us in our travels and community outreach, so please let me know if meeting with prospective students in your area is something that interests you. Helping us attract future generations of UMF graduates is fun and very rewarding. What better way for prospective students and their families to learn about UMF than by hearing from people who really loved their time at UMF? We hope to hear from you!
As we transition from the fall recruiting travel season to application reading season, we are thrilled to see the applications piling up. More than 600 students have already applied as Early Action candidates. We cannot wait to welcome the Class of 2023 to Farmington.
For now, keep spreading the great news about UMF and don’t forget to let the college-bound people in your life know that applying to UMF is free. Go Beavers!
Sincerely,
Lisa Ellrich, Director of Admissions
Lisa Ellrich has 23 years of experience in the UMF Admissions Office. In addition to overseeing a team of 13 professionals and support staff, she recruits prospective students throughout Maine’s Kennebec and Piscataquis counties, as well as eastern Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.