Summer 2011 enrollment was 32,867 students, up about 3 percent from 31,936 students a year prior, according to data from the Office of the Registrar.

“We’ve had a steady increase overall in the number of (summer) enrollments,” she said, noting an especially large increase in enrollment for online courses.

Enrollment for summer 2007 was 29,575 students and has been increasing each year since. That same summer, 4,126 students took an online course, compared to 14,158 students during summer 2011 — more than triple the amount.

Various reasons go into the decision to take summer courses, whether to decrease a student’s time to obtain a degree or tackle a more challenging course, Rovig said. The popularity of online classes is in part a convenience and flexibility issue, she said.

For Kennedy, he said completing a university requirement was more convenient to take in
the summer than another semester, but taking it online had its challenges.

“When you take a class and actually attend it, you’re involved and engaged,” he said. “It might have been better to do that.”

Summer also is a time numerous students transfer to MSU, said MSU’s Director of Admissions
Jim Cotter.

He said 559 applications for summer admissions have been received so far, higher than the 539 applications received last year at the end of the deadline. The bulk of the applications have been from transfer students.

“Summer is an interesting animal in comparing it to fall and spring,” Cotter said, as students deal with different class schedules and financial aid packages.

Considering the varying backgrounds and former institutions of transfer students, Cotter said those students make up an important part of a diverse university.

“I wanted to get into the Financial Markets Institute,” said finance senior Josh Taykowski, who transferred from Grand Valley State University as a sophomore.

“It’s given me a lot of opportunities to network with an alumni base, and I’m looking forward to graduating here.”