WVU gains popularity in W. Pa. as college destination

Look out, all would-be Panthers and Nittany Lions: The Mountaineers want to have a word with you.

Between 2002 and 2006, the number of students attending West Virginia University from Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Washington and Westmoreland counties rose from 1,677 to 1,940. That's an increase of nearly 16 percent.

To boost those numbers higher, the university recently hired a recruiter to work in and target 25 counties in Western Pennsylvania.

"We hope to increase the number of students in Western Pennsylvania that consider and attend West Virginia University," said Kim McCarty, the university's new recruiter.

WVU originally had done its out-of-state recruiting from its campus in Morgantown. About a year-and-a-half ago, though, it hired its first regional recruiter to target Virginia and Washington, D.C. It hired McCarty, 38, of Greensburg, in February to woo students in this area.

She drives 400 to 800 miles a week to high schools and college fairs, and preaches the Mountaineer gospel. Her pitch: price and academics.

The Morgantown campus is 70 miles south of Pittsburgh. West Virginia's tuition and fees for 2007-08 are $14,600 for out-of-state students. In-state tuition at Pitt and Penn State has not yet been set for next school year, but tuition and fees cost more than $12,000 at both schools in 2006-07.

Amanda Branthoover, 19, of Latrobe, Westmoreland County, considered going to Pitt and Juniata College before she chose WVU.

"I settled on WVU because the campus seemed a lot more friendly," said Branthoover, now a junior. "The whole area seems pretty much college-oriented. Everybody loves the students."

Anne Hochendoner, 21, of Brookline, picked WVU over several Pennsylvania and out-of-state schools.

"My big thing was marching band (and) the fact that (the school) was close," she said. "It's out of state, but only 15 miles from the Pennsylvania border."

Hochendoner notices the increase in Pittsburgh-area students at WVU.

"The whole price thing is a big kick," she said. "There's a lot of small places around Pittsburgh, and Morgantown kind of emulates that."

Her family has a rich history with WVU. Her mother, Martha, a Charleston, W.Va., native, graduated from the school, as did other relatives. Her mother chairs the recently revived Pittsburgh Area Mountaineers Club.

James Rushin, 18, of Freedom in Beaver County, is now a sophomore at WVU. A singer and upright bass and piano player, he chose the school for its music program.

"Aside from the football team, the academic programs at WVU are some of the best-kept secrets outside of Morgantown," he said.

Pitt and Penn State, however, are not worried about the competition.

"We, at the University of Pittsburgh, have not seen West Virginia emerge recently as a primary competitor," said Betsy A. Porter, Pitt's director of admissions and financial aid.

Students accepted by Pitt who choose to go elsewhere are asked by Pitt where they plan to go. West Virginia does not rank in the top 10 responses, said, Porter said.

Annemarie Mountz, a spokeswoman for Penn State, said its applications don't show any dent from West Virginia's competition. In 2006, the university had 94,506 applications -- possibly the most in the nation -- compared to 84,874 in 2005.

"Penn State stands on its own merits with the quality of education that's provided, and we continue to set application records year after year," Mountz said.

Of course, any Pennsylvanian who decides to go to West Virginia can expect to be teased by friends. Branthoover said her friends still razz her about going to a "redneck" school.

"They have no idea what West Virginia is really about," she said.