"We feel our students and their parents need to have a sense of what we really are all about," said Ms. Sneed, the assistant dean for enrollment services.

Jan Jantzen, dean of enrollment services, explained that "Serving others is a clearly defined aspect of a Jesuit education."

"It's one of the craziest years I've experienced," said Anthony Pallett, associate vice president for enrollment services at Boston University.

Tim Washburn, assistant vice president for enrollment services, said he expected interest in the N.Y.U. program to be high.

Healtheon also provides on-line enrollment services for a few thousand members of health plans served by Blue Shield of California.

"We are convinced at this point that the city is really helping us," said David Finney, associate vice president for enrollment services.

In 2006, Daniels continued his effort to reduce state operating costs by signing into law a bill privatizing the enrollment service for the state's welfare programs.

In mid-2009, after complaints of poor service, Daniels canceled the contract and returned the enrollment service to the public sector.

Brad Quinn, executive director of admissions and enrollment services at the College Board, admits the program is something of a "stealth" operation.

"We anticipated more obstacles than actually materialized," Nancy Monnich, Beloit's vice president of enrollment services, said.