flock

to move or gather together in large numbers:

Figures from the Victorian Tertiary Admission Centre, obtained by The Age, show the number of first-preference applications for HECS or government places dropped by 2.5 per cent to 54,872.

In 2005, the number of applications dropped by 4 per cent.
...

Despite the overall fall in demand, students have flocked to the prestige institutions, Melbourne and Monash. These two and Deakin University have all recorded an increase in

Melbourne posted a 4.9 per cent increase in first-preference applications, Deakin a 5.2 per cent jump and Monash a 2.8 per cent rise.


[ Rising costs cut demand for uni places ]