JC has accepted 240 students in the U.S. for the class of 2017. However, the real battle is seeing how many of them choose to come to JC.

According to Director of Enrollment Kim Brueggemann, figuring out who will actually enroll is “not a science.” Although 163 of the accepted applicants marked JC as their number one choice, they sometimes say “what they think you want to hear.”

Brueggemann, Associate Director of Enrollment Ed Maynard, and Enrollment Office Manager Jenny Falcone are the face of the school to prospective students, and they try to be “as welcoming as possible,” according to Brueggemann. They are also trying to get teachers and students to get involved to give the school a more personal atmosphere.

“I requested that any [person on the] faculty, staff, or administration … call a few people that have been accepted or send them letters,” Brueggemann said. “Any extra pull to help them to turn the page and come here would be fabulous.”

According to Principal Madelyn Ball, teachers calling could be the difference “if [prospective students] are teeter tottering between schools, hopefully it will convince them to come our way.”

Student hosts are already required to write a handwritten note to their shadows at the end of their shadow days. This is to help JC stand out from other private and public schools in the area, according to Brueggemann.

Another change could come with a daily bus possibly being sent to Cecil County or West Jarrettsville to encourage students from those areas to apply, according to Brueggemann. This is in response to private schools in Baltimore sending buses to rural areas.

“I meet with the heads of the other schools and we’re all going after the same group of kids, so I’m not sure what the numbers are going to be this year, but I think we are looking ok,” Ball said.

The number of accepted students is up only slightly compared to the class of 2016, which had 235 acceptances. The 240 students does not include international students, all of which are recommended by Coordinator of International Student Programs Sandi Seiler. When all is said and done, Brueggemann hopes to have at least 170 U.S. students enrolled for the class of 2017.

Ball is optimistic about the progress made within the admissions department and the hosts for shadows. “We’ve done an excellent job with our ambassadors, allowing the kids to shadow with them … They’ve done a wonderful job.”

Emily Clarke and Martha Schick are the Print Chief and Multimedia Chief for The Patriot and jcpatriot.org.