Institute of Notre Dame Enrollment Climbs 27 Percent in Three Years

Oct. 4, 2012 - PRLog -- Baltimore, MD — The Institute of Notre Dame (IND), the oldest Catholic girls high school in Baltimore, announced today that school-wide enrollment has increased more than 27 percent over the past three years despite the economic recession during the same time period. This year’s total enrollment is 382 versus 300 in the 2009-2010 academic year.

Ask IND’s Admission’s Director Amy Hoey Conly ’93 what accounts for the positive trend and she will cite a number of improvements that have driven up enrollment: the school’s outstanding diversity; the student’s ability to make a sports team in a small school; new transportation options and stellar customer service. But IND leadership agrees that three factors truly set IND apart from its peers: the school’s exceptional STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) curriculum, its One-to-One Tablet Program and handling of merit scholarships and financial aid.

Regarding STEM programs: “IND chose the highly respected Project Lead the Way® (PLTW) curriculum in biomedical sciences and engineering—rather than develop our own—which gives our students a distinct advantage,” Mrs. Conly explained. “PLTW programs are created and certified by experts and aligned with rigorous standards.” Now in its fourth year, IND’s Biomedical Sciences Program combines science and human health-related topics. It is so popular that 40 percent of this year’s incoming freshman class signed on. IND introduced PLTW’s Pathway to Engineering Program this year. Both programs can offer students additional incentives: many colleges and universities count program participation toward college credit.

Also contributing to IND’s enrollment success was the fact that beginning in 2008, every incoming freshman received a new laptop computer. “Today’s students are digital natives,” said IND’s President Mary Funke, Ed.D. “We adapted the pedagogy to meet their learning styles and the needs of a technology-driven society. IND invested heavily in technology by adding a fully wireless network, upgrading our infrastructure and equipping our classrooms with whiteboards, projectors and audio to support multimedia.”

Dr. Funke cites the school’s relentless pursuit of merit scholarships and financial aid as a key factor in attracting students to IND. “Parents have had a tough time economically over the past few years, yet they remain committed to providing a values-based education for their children,” she said. “IND goes to great lengths to not only bring deserving students here, but to keep them enrolled. We find money any way we can: scholarships, aid, alumnae—even faculty and staff—contribute to keeping girls here until graduation.”

Mrs. Conly agrees. “When we feel we’ve exhausted our options, we ask: ‘what would Mother Theresa (our foundress) do?’ She believed every child deserved an excellent education. Then we just push harder and find a way to make the situation work—and it always does.”

About the Institute of Notre Dame
The Institute of Notre Dame is the first college preparatory school established by the School Sisters of Notre Dame in the United States and is the oldest Catholic girls’ high school in Baltimore. The IND learning experience combines rigorous liberal arts and progressive‐minded course work with service to the community in a computer-assisted learning environment. IND inspires well‐rounded students who are prepared to solve the challenges that college and life bring. Since 2007, students have completed over 21,000 hours of service in the community with 100 percent of students going on to some of the best colleges and universities in the country. Learn more at www.indofmd.org and connect with IND on Facebook and Twitter @IND1847.