With tuition prices rising each year, the demand for higher entrance grades and the limitless choices of majors, deciding which university to attend can be a long and arduous task.

“High school students are really shopping around for an education,” said Marc Harding, director of admissions for Iowa State.

“It is not one thing that will attract them to a school, but a collection of things,” Harding said.

Incoming freshman accepted to ISU have until May 1 to send their registration fee of $38 to the admissions office, confirming their enrollment.

Last year’s incoming class consisted of 4,006 students, which was above the estimated 3,600.

One way the Admissions Office convinces students to come to ISU is by bringing it to them.

To do this, it has hosted 19 different preview programs in the six states surrounding Iowa.

In Minnesota alone, more than 600 students have participated.

High school students and their families also are invited to attend question and answer seminars hosted by the Admissions Office.

Various questions include financial support and scholarships, greek life, athletics and extra-curricular clubs and groups. Many of the students ask general university questions, Harding said.

Not only does the Admissions Office recruit students, but it also helps counsel prospective students.

“We have to often switch hats from selling our product, Iowa State, to advising so that the incoming student will get the most effective education they can,” he said.

When asked what effect the recent 7.5 percent rise in room and board fees would have on the number of students choosing or applying to ISU, Harding said, “Any price increase puts a barrier between the student and the university.”

ISU has one of the lowest tuition rates among Big 12 universities for both in-state and out-of-state students.

“An Iowa State education is a good product — a good product for a great value,” he said.

Veishea is another important recruitment tool for ISU.

“I am not sure if many students understand the importance of Veishea in the universities’ ability to recruit potential incoming students,” Harding said.

Students applying this year can complete an application on-line.

Although the on-line applications have not been advertised to incoming students, Harding said between 5 and 6 percent of students who applied did so through this application located on the ISU Web page.

The Web application was not functional until Dec. 1, much later than the brochures and booklets were sent to various high school advisers.

“We are really seeing that the incoming freshman are the ‘N-Generation,’ meaning the Net Generation. More and more students coming to the university are hooked-up,” Harding said. “I expect there will be twice as many students that apply over the net next year.”

At the beginning of this week, 2,415 freshman and 553 transfer students have confirmed that Iowa State will be their new home next year, Harding said.