When recruiters for MSU's newest residential college say they actively seek out applicants, they mean it.

Take the story of Seth Anderson, an 18-year-old senior at Community High School in Ann Arbor who likes jazz and is a member of Model United Nations.

Last November, his school was visited by Scot Yoder, assistant to the dean of the Residential College in Arts & Humanities, which is scheduled to open in the fall.

Yoder promoted the new college, talked about class size and encouraged the high school students to apply.

The pitch convinced Anderson, who later did his own research on the college's Web site. The idea of a smaller environment within a large university appealed to him — approximately 20 to 25 students will be in each class.

"It was definitely a program that I thought I'd be interested in," said Anderson, who came to MSU on Tuesday to meet with Yoder, discuss the college and take a tour.

"After yesterday, I'm pretty confident that if I got inthere I'd want to be," he said Wednesday.

So far, Yoder's one-on-one recruitment seems to be successful. He and the college's acting dean, Stephen Esquith, have been at it since summer 2006. Besides visiting high schools across the state, the pair has sent out mass mailings and brochures to prospective students, attended college fairs and met with high school counselors.

"Generally speaking, when we get the chance to actually talk to students one on one, or in groups, those are the best opportunities to convey what we are trying to accomplish with the college and to describe it well," Yoder said.

Esquith and Yoder worked closely with recruiters from two of MSU's other residential colleges, Lyman Briggs School and James Madison College, to come up with a recruitment strategy.

As Anderson's story shows, one of the best methods is talking with students in person; however, a combination of visits and mass mailings is more effective and practical, Esquith said.

Originally the dream of then-Provost Lou Anna K. Simon in 2004, the idea of the college was created to expand living and learning combinations at MSU. In May 2006, construction began to renovate Snyder and Phillips halls.

So far, the college has admitted around 85 students. Esquith said about 140 have applied, and the college wants to accept between 125 and 150 in total students for fall 2007.

Esquith intends to hire 10 to 15 faculty members for fall 2007 who have interest and enthusiasm in the college. He will hire from within MSU, as well as from other institutions.

"We are bringing in a new class of students and a new class of faculty to help us continue to develop the curriculum and build the college," he said.

Anderson said his meeting with Yoder and the tour of the colleges was a success.

"(Yoder) talked a lot about the layout of the building and how he expected there to be a lot of interaction within the students of the program, and the students with the teachers," Anderson said. "That's something that I can't find in my high school and that was cool."

There are generally three kinds of students Esquith said were the most attracted to the college:

• Students interested in world languages, the performing arts, history, ethics and international relations.

• Students interested in community service and civil engagement.

• Students interested in the college who also are interested in the larger resources MSU has to offer.

The college also attracts students who are interested in its flexible curriculum. Students can choose between five pathways, or themes, that allow them to specialize in subject areas outside of the college.

As a 17-year-old history buff in Rockford, the college is exactly what Kat Atkins was looking for.

"I am a really big history person. I have loved that ever since I was really little," said Atkins, a senior at Rockford High School. "When I saw that I could customize my major, that was I wanted to do. It just seemed like it was really perfect for me."

At first, Atkins — who hopes to eventually work with the preservation of ancient artifacts — was accepted to MSU as a history major. It wasn't until later that she learned about the college.

Her mother e-mailed Yoder asking how to switch Atkins' concentration. Yoder e-mailed her mother back right away, and after working with MSU's admissions office, she switched into the college.

"It's going to be a wonderful opportunity to meet people who have similar interests as mine," Atkins said. "It won't be difficult to meet a bunch of people."

Yoder said Atkins' situation hasn't been uncommon — about a dozen students applied for other majors before they knew about the residential college.

While most of the recruiting has focused on prospective freshmen, Esquith said there is room for transfer students from both within and outside the university.

The college also is working with is the Residential Option in Arts & Letters, which is being discontinued after this academic year. Several current freshmen in that program have expressed interest in entering the Residential College in Arts & Humanities in the fall, Esquith said.

The college will give credit to students who transfer from another university or institution.

"We want to accommodate them wherever possible," Esquith said.

While the idea of college is somewhat scary for Anderson, he said he really looks forward to a change of scenery.

"As much as I love Ann Arbor, it's some place that I do want to get out of for at least some amount of time," he said. "I'm definitely looking forward to the people, the classes I'll be choosing to take and the freedom I'll be given."

Yoder and Esquith are excited for the coming year as well.

"I get excited about working with the students. They're creative, they're ambitious," Yoder said. "I think they are going to be a pleasure to work with, I really do."