Proactive admissions efforts improve MC’s first-year class “melt” statistic

By Sophia Dean | Sept. 15, 2026

Melt is a term used to describe students who have paid their enrollment fee and signed up for classes but ultimately do not attend the college. This is a reality for many colleges and universities, as students’ plans change, or their initial college choice turns out not to be the right fit. Maryville College is no exception to this statistic; however, the current first-year class of 2030 has retained more students through the start of classes than previous years at MC.

Kelly Massenzo, director of undergraduate admissions at Maryville College, said the college builds flexibility into its planning.

“At Maryville College, we know that not every student who deposits will ultimately enroll, so the college plans for a range of enrollment scenarios. In my role, I regularly meet with colleagues in financial aid, academic advising, the business office, residence life and other areas to keep campus partners updated on enrollment status and student needs. That coordination matters for housing, course schedules, financial aid, student support and the overall makeup of the incoming class. More importantly, it helps ensure that the students who do enroll have a successful start,” Massenzo said.

Massenzo’s diligence in the undergraduate admissions process proves the hard work that she and the admissions team do to recruit students and make sure that they enroll at a school that best fits their needs each year. However, with the increase in the retention of students, Massenzo did admit that they approached the process a little bit differently this year. 

“Personal attention has always been central to the work we do in admissions, but this year we were especially proactive and structured in our summer outreach,” Massenzo said. “Rather than waiting for students or families to reach out after a problem developed, enrollment counselors checked in directly, reviewed remaining checklist items, and helped students understand what was coming next. Those conversations allowed us to address questions early, before they became barriers to enrollment.”

This approach allowed students to develop connections with their counselors and, in turn, develop a community within the school before they set foot on campus to start the academic school year. 

“We also worked closely with campus partners to make sure outreach was coordinated. Students do not experience Maryville College through separate offices; they experience one college community. Our goal was to make the process feel connected, so a student who had a financial question, housing concern or orientation question could quickly get to the right person without feeling overwhelmed or passed from office to office,” Massenzo said.

Ultimately, the effort to build relationships between admissions counselors and students appears to have carried well into orientation and beyond. These connections gave students who were unsure about attending, or who had questions about financial aid, a direct contact to reach out to when needed.

The admissions team and directors work hard to ensure students are making the right choice and encourage them to consider Maryville a serious part of their college decision-making process. But could the freshman melt rate be influenced by factors outside admissions?

Noah Bowman, director of academic support, offered his perspective on the connection between academics and the melt statistic: “I would imagine that students who don’t show up on Day One after committing to MC are not yet aware of the academic rigor at Maryville College. I believe there are other factors at play when students decide not to come to MC, like financial issues, or perhaps offers from other colleges or universities.”

When asked whether the MC community should be concerned about students dropping out later in the year because of the higher enrollment, Bowman said, “I believe our athletic coaches and admissions counselors are adjusting to the current higher-ed environment and are recruiting students more appropriate for MC, and therefore more students are arriving on Day One and being retained.”

Bowman’s comments suggest that academics are not the deciding factor in whether a student chooses to attend. He also reaffirmed his trust in teachers and coaches as reliable mentors for students’ academic needs.

Bowman elaborated on his goals for the Academic Success Center. “Our goal in the ASC is to provide an environment where all student-types feel welcome and supported. We are very intentional with how we set up our supportive spaces, as well as how we prepare and train our MC Academic Mentors to serve their fellow Scots. We focus on a socially supportive, empathic, inclusive, and creative space for all MC Scots to feel welcome seeking out and asking for academic help,” Bowman said.

Through admissions and academics, the support system for new Maryville Scots is energized and ready to take action, and has been successful already in lowering the melt rate. These coordinated efforts ensure that students who might otherwise have changed their mind after enrollment feel comfortable in their academics and community.