As a new school year begins, it is clear that the incoming freshman class is brighter and much, much larger.

“We had carefully planned for a freshman class of about 1,950, but because more students accepted our offers than historical trends could have predicted, we now have a freshman class of about 2,100,” Chancellor Rosemary DePaolo said.

And with an increase in students comes the need for an increase in residential housing facilities.

“Admissions told us last fall that their freshman target number would be 1,950 again, so we were planning on housing 90 percent of that number,” said Director of Housing and Residence Life Brad Reid. “But by orientation, we could tell that number was greater and it looked like it might be as high as 2,162 [new students] in June.”

UNCW experienced six full orientation sessions, totaling 300 students in each.

Students who were accepted to the university were able to sign up for on-campus housing via contract by May 1, 2008.

“I had to turn away 98 freshmen who missed the May 1 deadline, and I couldn’t house any transfer students,” Reid said.

Thus, almost all transfer students are forced to live off-campus this year, compared to the 90 that were able to be housed on-campus in 2007.

According to DePaolo, the unprecedented demand for student housing comes both from the large size of the freshman class and increased requests for on-campus housing from upperclassmen. UNCW does not require freshmen to live on campus, but about 91 percent of this year’s freshman class chose campus housing.

There are currently 3,481 permanent beds at UNCW, with 136 students in temporary triple housing situations in Belk, Graham and Hewlett dorms. This means that double rooms are equipped with three beds and dressers while desks are moved into common rooms.

“We have had to triple up before, but never to this magnitude,” Reid said. “It can only be best explained by the increased freshmen enrollment.”

“Why are we getting so many students? Because they really, really want to attend UNCW,” DePaolo said. “Our reputation for outstanding academics and a wonderful campus life has inspired scores of students who in the past would have turned down UNCW to attend Carolina or State to choose us instead. We are no longer a ‘back up’ school for North Carolina’s best and brightest students. They want to be here, and we want them in Wilmington.”

Temporary students will eventually move into the rooms of those who either withdraw or do not show up to UNCW.

“Last year we had about 62 women in temporary housing and by the fourth week of the fall semester all of those 62 were in permanent spaces,” Reid said. “With men, though, there were hardly any ‘no shows’ so they stayed [in their temporary housing] for almost the entire fall semester.”

“Will history repeat itself?” Reid said. “Your guess is as good as mine.”

Although letters were sent to all students in Belk, Graham and Hewlett dorms over the summer detailing the situation, Reid has received a few phone calls from concerned parents of temporary housing students.

“Today I’ve heard from five parents,” Reid said. “Some permanent students were not making temporary ones feel as at home as we had liked [in a triple room] and some roommate styles did not match up.”

He added, “That’s not unusual, but we’ve got at least five students we need to see if we can’t help assign to permanent spaces as soon as possible.”

Students with earlier housing contract submission dates will also be tended to first, assigning temporary students to any available housing building, including Cornerstone, the suites and the university apartments.

“Something monumental is going on at UNCW,” Reid said. “It’s becoming the first choice with students as opposed to their second, third or fourth and that’s why we’re seeing a stronger freshman number than before.”

Around 12,500 students currently attend UNCW and DePaolo projects a 2 percent growth in scholars in the coming years and to have about 14,500 by the year 2017.