Although Penn State received more than 86,000 applications for admission last year, the university is launching a marketing campaign to attract mainly in-state high school students to attend campuses at other than University Park.

Patrick Smith, undergraduate admissions office spokesman, said the campaign is designed not only to reinforce the Penn State brand name in the region, but also to get more students in Pennsylvania to apply to Commonwealth Campuses that are closer to their homes.

"Too many students put University Park as a first choice simply because it is the only thing they've ever paid any attention to," Smith said. "Because of the high awareness of University Park, it's very competitive."

The decision to start new advertising efforts comes at a time when some officials are concerned that Pennsylvania's changing demographics will cause fewer students to enroll at Penn State in the future.

Cynthia Hall, director of university marketing and advertising, said the campaign consists of 30 second television commercials on MTV, Comedy Central, the WB, ESPN2 and other stations that often attract high school students.

Radio advertisements, billboards and posters will also be used to strengthen Penn State's presence throughout the state.

"Higher education is moving into a more competitive marketplace," Hall said. "There will be less students over the coming years as the baby boom generation ages."

At the University Faculty Senate meeting in September, Penn State President Graham Spanier said that although enrollment at Penn State has increased over the past few years, a decline in high school graduation rates might also affect enrollment in the future.

Smith said about 85 percent of students applying to Penn State indicate University Park as their first choice, but it is not the perfect choice for some students.

"Some students tend to do better in a setting that's a bit smaller and a bit more personal, where the average class size is 20 instead of 50 or 70," Smith said. "It's not about being at University Park. It's about being at Penn State."

Leah Charles (freshman-division of undergraduate studies), a student at Penn State Erie, said she does not plan to transfer to University Park after two years like the majority of Penn State students do.

"I like the smaller campus because you get more attention from the professors and you get a chance to know more people around campus," Charles said. "A lot of people think that University Park is better because it's so well known."

Bob McCaig, director of enrollment management at Penn State Abington, said students' desires to leave home to go to college is his biggest challenge in attracting local students.

"A lot of students think Happy Valley means nonstop fun and a certain sense of liberation from what they might be used to," McCaig said.

Elizabeth Loftus (freshman-engineering) said that she selected University Park over a Commonwealth campus because of the social scene in the area.

"Academics did not affect my decision at all," Loftus said. "I chose University Park because of football and because there is so much more offered here in terms of big ticket venues."

"The Red Hot Chili Peppers were here," she said.

McCaig said the new marketing campaign helps Penn State Abington compete with the 83 other institutions in the Philadelphia area.

"Their marketing is much more sexy and slick," he said. "For us to finally have a hip and slick, young version of what we used to do is terrifically helpful for us in a much more competitive market down here."