"The increase in the number of freshmen changes the character of the campus," said Jo Volkert, associate vice president for enrollment planning and management. "Freshmen take more classes and are much more likely to stay on campus when they are not in class."

In addition, more freshmen than ever -- 46.5 percent -- have come from outside the six Bay Area counties. That represents a climb of 2.9 percent over last year and continues the University's trend of becoming more of a destination campus. In particular, the number of freshmen coming from Southern California has increased -- up 7.9 percent over the last three years.

However, no Bay Area residents who qualified for admission were turned away. Rather the trend is the result of California demographics and an increase in on-campus housing available. With the opening of the Towers at Centennial Square last year, the University can now house 2,200 students on campus. In addition, SFSU recently purchased the Stonestown Apartments (now University Park North) and plans to make units available to students, faculty and staff as tenants vacate voluntarily.

Freshman Aaron Matlen, a Sacramento resident, agrees that, at least for him, SFSU is a destination campus.

"If I'm going to stay somewhere for four years, I want to be somewhere I'm going to enjoy," he said. "I'm looking forward to the whole dorm lifestyle and the whole lifestyle I'm going to live in San Francisco. It's a really dynamic place."

Matlen participated in SFSU's Aug. 18 Welcome Home program, an early orientation and move-in program for 300 freshmen moving into Mary Ward and Mary Park halls. He plans to pursue a degree in marketing.

-- William Morris