Early indicators of potential applicants for Ontario universities this fall are showing some strong signals for Brock.

It will be months before universities have a clear expectation of September enrolment, but the first round of data shows Brock’s numbers up by more than five per cent over 2017 in terms of Ontario Grade 12 students putting Brock among their top choices of universities to attend this fall.

Figures released Monday, Jan. 22 by the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre (OUAC) show the number of Ontario Secondary School applications to Brock is currently 15,534, an increase of 773 from a year ago.

The OUAC report shows Brock gained 5.2 per cent more applications from Ontario Secondary School students, and a 1.4 per cent increase in the volume of Ontario Secondary students selecting Brock as their first choice institution  — an increase in Brock’s marketshare.

The OUAC report does not include applications from outside Canada, outside Ontario, nor students transferring to Brock from other institutions.

Overall, Brock has received 17,768 applications to date, an increase of 1,290 (7.8 per cent) over the same time last cycle, providing a strong indicator that Brock is a top choice in a fiercely competitive market.

This year’s early indicators for Brock are particularly strong for the Faculty of Mathematics and Science, the Faculty of Social Science and the Goodman School of Business.

Jamie Mandigo, Brock’s Vice-Provost for Enrolment Management and International, acknowledged the new numbers are a very early report in what is a lengthy admission cycle for universities, but nonetheless welcomed the indicators for what they are.

“Our main student recruitment area is the most fiercely competitive region in Canada, in terms of post-secondary choices,” said Mandigo.

“This week’s data, along with the growing volume of positive comments we receive from potential students and their families during campus visits, suggests the word is spreading about Brock’s academic and research excellence, its terrific experiential learning initiatives and the great life experience that students get when they come here.”

University Registrar Geraldine Jones said officials will continue to carefully track the application trends in the coming months.

“A lot of people put a lot of hard work into marketing Brock and recruiting students into our wide range of academic programs,” she said. “We know Brock is an excellent destination, but we also know that people have many choices, so the work never ends in terms of telling our story and demonstrating that people who come Brock are able to access a fabulous education that leads to strong career opportunities.”