Some area college admission departments are experiencing what Realtors would call a "boom," as applications for this fall are higher than available slots.
But some administrators predict a "bust" may be coming in Pennsylvania, where the graduating high school population is expected to begin to drop in two years.
In recent years, most universities have seen an upswing in applications. Officials attributed the spurt to ever-increasing amenities, more athletic options and improved facilities.
The number of applicants at St. Vincent College, near Latrobe, was high enough that the administration created a waiting list of approximately 200 prospective students.
By late spring, the college had accepted 1,105 of its 1,823 applicants, said David Collins, assistant vice president for admission and financial aid.
That figure was up nearly 40 percent from last year's applicants.
St. Vincent has room for 425 new students in the fall of 2007, Collins said.
"It's to the point where we're waiting to see how the deposits come in," he said.
The U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics projects that between 2002-03 and 2015-16, the number of high school graduates will increase by 6 percent.
But in some states, including Pennsylvania, the number of high school graduates is expected to drop 5 percent over that period.
A spokeswoman for the center's clearinghouse said projected declines in some states reflect more an expected population drop than an anticipated increase in dropout rates.
A Penn State overview also projects a slight decrease in high school graduates from 2009-16.
Collins attributed some of the increased response to St. Vincent's expanded recruitment efforts, locally and out of state.
Any future decline may lead colleges to recruit more aggressively, several university spokesmen noted.
All numbers are preliminary, school officials pointed out, as some students who make deposits will not ultimately register for classes.
At Carnegie Mellon University, 22,052 students have applied for 1,360 available admission slots this fall. This marks a 19 percent increase over last year, also a record year for applications.
Admissions director Michael Steidel said university surveys show freshmen cite CMU's consistently high ranking in national magazines and the university's academic reputation as ranking high in their decision to apply.
Steidel also noted more students using the Common Application, a form that streamlines the process and is accepted at more than 300 American schools, to apply to multiple colleges.
At Seton Hill University, the 2007 freshman class is projected at 320, up from 314 in 2006.
Barbara Hinkle, Seton Hill's vice president for enrollment services and registrar, said the school's Center for the Performing Arts is drawing many prospective students.
The school also recently announced four full-tuition scholarships to Seton Scholars in an effort to attract and support liberal arts students.
At the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg, a freshman class of 430, the same as last year, is expected. There are 2,812 applications for those spots, up 7.7 percent from last year, spokeswoman Wendy Mackall said.
The Mary Lou Campana Chapel and Lecture Center will be completed before fall classes begin, and a second floor is planned for McKenna Hall, the school's computer center.
"We're having a really good year," said Michael Husentis, director of enrollment management at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus.
Applications are up 4 percent over last year, to 443, he said. And students making deposits before the average national deadline of May 1 rose 48 percent this year.
"Those are new records for us," Husentis said.
The school can accept a maximum of 275 new students this fall, depending on how many current students are retained.
Student housing is now available at the newly constructed University Commons.
Mining technology, an associate program resurrected after more than 20 years, is attracting a lot of interest, Husentis said. The mining industry is losing a lot of workers to retirement, and the industry is becoming more high-tech.
Students in that field, along with engineering technology, architectural engineering and other two-year degree options, are finding high-paying jobs awaiting them, Husentis said.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania spokeswoman Michelle Fryling said the school does not traditionally release admission figures before the fall semester.
"We're always aggressively recruiting," she said.
She expects a new Web site, to be unveiled in the fall and featuring video blogs, to boost interest in the school.
Applicants also have shown a lot of interest in the school's new Asian studies major and doctorate in nursing program, Fryling said.
And Phase I of IUP's ongoing $250 million Residential Revival project, which replaces all of the school's 15 residence halls with suite living, already has booked its 734 beds for this fall, she said.
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