[laurenlacy]

Thinking in economic terms, are the costs of adding that many extra members worth the extra $12,000?

Because that is a fairly large jump. Not to say that is a bad thing, but it can also be difficult making sure everyone has a job, etc, etc, and the logistics of running a smaller team like that versus running a huge team are important to consider. You could easily end up adding 12,000 in travel costs alone, which would cancel out the money the school would give you.

That's not to say you shouldn't encourage people to join, because I firmly believe that FIRST is something every kid should have exposure to, but be sure you want your team to grow for the right reasons.

That said, all of the above are great techniques for increasing membership and awareness.