During the pandemic, college enrollment overall dropped by over one million students 
nationwide. At Hampton University, the effects were particularly acute. A report from the State Council for Higher Education found that enrollment in Virginia’s historically Black colleges and universities declined significantly during the pandemic, with Hampton losing over 700 students—a number roughly equivalent to the entire freshman (e.g., first year, first time) class in 2021.
Recovering from the pandemic and returning to prior levels of enrollment became a top priority for Hampton University. Its internal processes for reviewing applications, however, led to lengthy times for decisions and notifications of acceptance—giving prospective students more time to deposit elsewhere.