The Feb. 14 shooting is not expected to affect admissions for the 2008-2009 school year.

Director of Admissions Bob Burk said it is too early to determine the effect the shootings will have on admissions, but said by this time, NIU usually receives about 95 percent of their applications.

As of Feb. 4, Burk said NIU had already received 15,000 freshman applications and an additional 2,400 transfer applications. He added that the university set a goal of 16,200 freshman applications and expects a total of 5,000 transfer applications. With those numbers, Burk does not believe the university will have to extend application deadlines.

“It’s much, much too early to tell,” Burk said. “I spoke with Virginia Tech officials, and although it happened at a different time in the admissions cycle, they had no policy change and had a successful recruitment class.”

Incoming freshman Joey Punzi from Norridge said he plans to attend NIU next semester.

“I still feel safe going to NIU; it’s still like any other college,” Punzi said. “I have not had any second thoughts after the shooting. It could happen at any school and the NIU shooting was just coincidence.”

His mother, Judy Punzi, feels differently about sending her son to school.

“Do I feel safe sending him? No, not exactly,” she said. “If I knew security was going to be increased permanently, I would feel safe letting him go.”

Both mentioned they would like to see the police in large lecture halls as well as patrolling campus.

“They should have police in and around the buildings. What good are the police if they are not in the buildings and not patrolling campus?” Judy said.

Burk recognizes that questions will be raised by incoming students about safety on campus and believes the university did a good job telling the public what happened and what they are going to do. He said the admissions office has referred people to the NIU Web site to help answer those questions.

Burk also said that high school counselors around Illinois have sent continued support to NIU staff and students. He believes the counselors will also help talk to students and parents of incoming students to help convey that NIU is a safe school.