![University of Montana Fall Enrollment Down](http://townsquare.media/site/119/files/2016/02/IMG_6123.jpg?w=630&h=420&zc=1&s=0&a=t&q=89&w=980&q=75)
University of Montana Fall Enrollment Down
MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) — Fall enrollment at the University of Montana's main campus is down 6.1 percent compared to last year, continuing a downward trend since it reported a peak enrollment of 13,198 students in 2010.
Tom Crady, UM's new vice president for enrollment management, said Friday he plans to increase the numbers by marketing the school to more prospective students, contacting them as sophomores instead of when they're juniors and improving the speed with which applications are processed and applicant questions are answered.
The fall headcount at UM is 10,329 students, down from 10,999 last fall and down 22 percent since 2010.
Crady says the university has an extraordinarily positive reputation outside the state and is more affordable than many schools. He plans to focus his initial efforts on increasing freshman enrollment, because that impacts enrollment for four or five years.
He also notes the campus, dorms and classrooms aren't overcrowded.
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