You’re In!

Collegium takes a look behind the curtain at the Class of 2028, the enrollment process taken to recruit the largest first-year class in University history, and why today’s students choose Fisher.

CJ Lopez has known he wants to teach elementary school children since his sophomore year of high school, after having worked with school-aged kids for three years through a YMCA summer camp and afterschool program.

“I thought it would just be a job, but it developed into a passion for working with kids,” he explained. 

This fall, Lopez was among the nearly 700 first-year students arriving at St. John Fisher University to pursue a college education. The Class of 2028 is the largest class in the University’s history. It is also the most academically prepared to enter Fisher and is the institution’s most diverse class to date. 

Lopez became familiar with the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. School of Education through its Future Teachers Program. “I was able to spend a day on campus, experience an education class, meet current students and other people interested in becoming teachers,” he said. 

That experience, along with high-quality offerings at the dining hall, helped solidify Fisher as his first choice college. 

Enrollment management and admissions professionals know that location, available courses of study, and a connection to the campus culture are all factors that drive a student’s college decision. Amid the nationwide delay in Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) information and the decline in college-aged students demographically, college enrollment teams have faced a particularly challenging cycle. 

For more than a decade, however, Fisher has bucked the trends in enrollment declines faced by small liberal arts institutions across the nation. This success has been built over years, with the 2019-2024 period seeing the largest first-year entering classes of any five-year period in Fisher’s history.

Jose Perales ’95, vice president for enrollment management, and Stacy Ledermann, assistant vice president of admissions, said the University’s continued success comes down to consistency, reputation, and recruitment personalization.

“We recruit families one at a time and present the benefits of being part of the Fisher community individually to students so that they understand our approach to their education,” Perales said. “Fisher has the benefits of a large institution—our facilities, technology investments, the quality of our faculty and staff—but in a smaller, more personal environment. This allows students more opportunities to get involved, take advantage of resources outside of class, and engage in practical experiences that will help them find and get started on a career path.”

From admissions counselors to athletic coaches to representatives in the Office of Student Financial Services and Office of Marketing and Communications, Fisher staff are well-versed in delivering the message around the value of a Fisher education to students and their families. 

“We do our best in the recruitment process to accurately provide the feeling of what we believe it will be like to be a student here,” Perales said. 

That “one family at a time” philosophy has guided the University’s enrollment process since Katherine Keough’s presidency (1996-2004) and has remained consistent across leaders. Perales said that’s due in part to the longevity of employees in the division. 

“The enrollment management division benefits from professionals with a wealth of knowledge who have been here 15-20, sometimes 30 years, and they love Fisher and believe in it,” he said.

Ledermann agreed, noting that there are several initiatives and experiences at Fisher that are very personal to employees who have helped them develop and grow over time. One such example is the M&T Charitable Foundation College Bound Program. 

Created by President Rooney during his tenure leading enrollment management, the College Bound Program provides first-generation high school students with support as they begin the college admissions process. Over the course of a week, students live on campus and work closely with college admissions professionals and gain knowledge about the college search process, develop an understanding of financial aid, and work on applications, personal statements, and interviews. They also tour several other Rochester area colleges. 

“The program really helps students see themselves on a college campus and know that they belong, while giving them practical skills and knowledge to make that a reality,” said Ledermann, who has been involved with College Bound since it began in 2007. 

The eldest of three sisters and the first in her family to attend college, Yomary Vidal-escalera participated in the College Bound program last summer. She said the experience helped her narrow down her search, think about what she wanted from her college experience, and eased the admissions process. 

“Distance was a big thing. Colleges too far away were an automatic no. Fisher was the perfect distance,” said Vidal-escalera. 

While location, availability of majors, and campus footprint are factors in decision making, it’s hard to understate the role that financial aid and the cost of college play in driving enrollment decisions for families. When news broke that the roll-out of the new FAFSA process would be significantly delayed, it sent the cycle into a tailspin. Perales credited the expertise of division leadership—especially within the Office of Student Financial Services—for the University’s ability to be agile and respond to the delay in a way that was supportive to prospective students and families, as well as current students. 

“So much of the disruption was out of our control,” he noted, “but what we could do was remain consistent with families, respond immediately when information was received, and provide them with timely and accurate financial awards. 

“And that had everything to do with our success in enrolling the Class of 2028. At a time when there was uncertainty in the market, our prospective families benefited because they received our aid packages quickly. We stayed ahead of the curve in delivering this critical information to families.”

For Hailey Haniszewski, the financial aid package was critical to her decision. She was awarded the Presidential Scholarship, a merit scholarship that recognized her academic success. That, paired with additional scholarships, helped make a Fisher education affordable.

Haniszewski researched colleges that offered nursing programs. She hopes to one day be a pediatric or trauma nurse. She was accepted into all the colleges she applied to, but felt Fisher was the best fit because of the reputation of the Wegmans School of Nursing, proximity to home (far but not too far), and the environment.

“Everybody was so welcoming, and I felt really good about that,” she said. “My admissions counselor, Emily Trotman, was so nice, and that connection definitely drove me to Fisher.” 

Also influential was hearing current Cardinals speak about the University’s supportive environment and resources available to help students succeed during the summer orientation program, Great Beginnings.

After students make their deposit to the University, Great Beginnings marks the first big step in joining the Fisher community and showcases how involved the entire campus is in creating their success. Organized by the Center for Career and Academic Planning, the robust orientation program provides the opportunity for students to meet academic advisors, interact with current students, and hear from University administrators, all while learning about life at Fisher.

“It takes a campus to enroll a class,” Perales said. “Enrollment management takes the lead in the recruitment and admissions processes, but it’s an effort contributed to by faculty and staff across campus, athletics, student life, alumni, and current students.”

Like Haniszewski, Gabby Modica had a pile of college acceptance letters from which to choose. She said Fisher’s environment, criminal justice program, and Catholic tradition put it at the top of her list.

“The campus felt like a very welcoming, positive, and comfortable environment that I felt like I would thrive in,” she said. “I really like that Fisher is in the Catholic tradition, too. I’ve attended Catholic schools, and felt it would keep me grounded in my faith, which is really important to me.”

Modica hopes to major in criminal justice, with a long-term goal of joining the FBI. In the meantime, she looks forward to the personal growth and independence that comes with the college experience. 

“I’m looking forward to being comfortable with the uncomfortable. That’s my goal,” Modica said. “I know college is uncomfortable—making new friends, living in the dorms. It’s just a whole new experience, and I am ready for it.”