The university’s popularity has grown over the years because of an increase in media connecting people to the university and Horned Frog athletics, Dean of Admission Ray Brown said.

“Twelve years ago we received about 4,500 applications, and this year we stand the chance of cracking 20,000,” Brown said. “That’s really unheard of in college admissions. That just doesn’t happen.”

Junior finance major Garrett Lucas said he thought the university was popular because of the athletics and academic departments on campus.

“It’s just a really growing university,” Lucas said. “It’s an awesome place to be right now.”

Emry Rockenfield, a high school sophomore, said she visited the university because her mother attended TCU and thought it would be a great fit for her as well.

“I came to visit TCU because of its excellent journalism school and everything that it stands for academically, ethically and morally,” Rockenfield said.

As of right now Brown said TCU had received a few hundred more applicants than last year – just over 18,000.

Alyssa Evans, a high school senior from Chicago, Ill., visited TCU after being accepted over Christmas break. Coming from the Midwest, she said she thought the university was popular because of the warm weather and athletics.

“I came to TCU because my friend recommended it to me, and I have some friends that go here,” Evans said. “They love the school, and they have so much TCU pride.”

Brown said the most popular applicants were students interested in biology and nursing. He also said with the university’s increasing popularity, a lot of out-of-state students were applying.

Lucas said he thought the university was much more difficult to get into than when he applied.

“After winning the Rose Bowl and all the other incredible things that TCU is going through right now, applications are going through the roof,” Lucas said. “My dad, my grandpa all went to TCU and I have a younger sibling that I hope can come too, but it gets harder every day.”

Brown said television directed a lot of attention to TCU and was drawing people in to visit. He said the beautiful campus had been here for a while now “but what has been going on is some pretty amazing students being taught by some pretty amazing faculty.”

Brown said students who visited the campus got hooked.

As more students applied to TCU, it continued to get more recognition as one of the top universities to go to, he said.