Packed lecture room. Photo Marte Hofsteenge The new academic year is about to begin, but how many first-year students are to embark on a programme in Wageningen is not yet clear. The pre-enrolments suggest a slight increase.
Thus states Education & Student Affairs officer Geertje Braat. She monitors the dashboard that shows the number of pre-enrollers for WUR. Pre-enrolments are based on the Studielink data, where students enrol. These records include all enrolment requests for Dutch study programmes. Students may enrol for more than one programme but are only partially included in the pre-enrolment data in such cases.
A total of 1388 new bachelor’s and 1948 master’s students started their programmes at WUR last year (counted on 1 October; students moving from a bachelor’s to a master’s at WUR are not included in these numbers). According to Braat, the pre-enrolments suggest a slight increase among both Dutch and international bachelor students. The rise in international bachelors is largely attributed to the newly launched international bachelor of Marine Sciences, Braat says. ‘Based on the pre-enrolments, the influx into masters’ programmes seems stable.’
Proviso
‘Just before the start of the academic year, a reasonably accurate estimate of the influx can be made’, Braat says. ‘However, that is easier for Dutch students than international students because the share of pre-enrolled international students that eventually decide not to start their programme is higher.’
Still, Braat adds a proviso to the expected numbers. ‘Based purely on the pre-enrolment dashboard, the influx is expected to increase. The number of registrations for the introduction week – which is a reasonably accurate indication of the actual number of first-year students- on the other hand, suggest an unchanged, or even slightly lower influx.’
The definitive numbers are expected in October. Braat: ‘Only then will we know for sure whether the influx is unchanged or slightly higher.’
