Athletic success = More student applications

[Pakuni]

I suspect we already knew this, or at least suspected it, but now there's definitive proof.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080323/ap_on_re_us/flutie_effect_1

[Ahoya06]

I read a similar article recently in the South Bend paper while on the train home from the girlfriend's. The article was mostly speculating a reverse "Flutie Effect" wondering if ND's 3-9 season would lead to a drop in applications. The article mentioned us, and how our '03 run contributed to a jump.

Personally, I don't buy it. I think that it makes a bigger difference in smaller schools (for example, HS students who had never heard of George Mason and as a result wouldn't even give them a look prior to the FF might now get some information and potentially apply. With ACADEMICALLY established schools like us more recently, as well as places like ND and GTown, just to name two, I don't think it makes a significant difference.

Where it makes a HUGE difference is in donations. I think good athletics seasons will lead to an increase in alumni donations, and as a result, improvements at the school, as far as facilities and academics go. THIS will ultimately lead to an increase in apps...

Just my $.02 on the subject.

[chapman]

I think it's made some difference with us, but nothing like George Mason.  People are going to apply to Notre Dame whether they're been winning games lately or not.  A lot of people around the country still don't know where Marquette is.  The numbers show an increase in applications, but I don't think we had the George Mason effect where people all over the country sent in their application after we went to the Final Four.  If anything it might have convinced even more people from Wisconsin and Illinois to apply.  Someone could disprove my thinking with numbers on this, but I'm willing to get the percentage of applicants not from Wisconsin or Illinois has risen very slightly if at all, certainly not nearly as much as it did for George Mason. 

[muwarrior87]

ik a decent amount of juniors right now that never heard of MU before our Final Four run in '03 who are from the west coast. It definitely had an impact but it may not be as great as some think.