A fourth-week head count of the University population indicates a larger and smarter entering class with more non-resident students, more students of color, fewer international students and more students enrolled at the University overall.
Fourth-week enrollment statistics show the University population at 20,339, a 306-student increase from last fall, according to the Registrar’s Office.
Director of Admissions Martha Pitts said applications to the University were down this year at 8,598, but the University did receive more complete applications. She said 3,009 students accepted the University’s offer of admission, which is 250 more students than last year’s freshman class. She added that a greater proportion of students who were admitted actually enrolled at the University than last year.
“The students (that applied) were more serious about attending the University,” Pitts said.
Additionally, Pitts said this year’s freshman class has a slightly lower average grade point average, but a higher average SAT score.
“It’s a very strong class,” she said.
About a third of the freshman class, 953 students, is non-resident, which Pitts said meets the University’s goal.
“We think that it’s important that they learn in a University with students with a wide variety of backgrounds,” Pitt said. “And geographic diversity is part of that.”
The number of students of color increased this year from 2,623 last year to 2,706 this year, Pitts said. Students of color constitute 13.3 percent of the whole University population, a 0.3 percent increase from last year. Statistics on students of color do not include international students.
While Pitts said she was “thrilled” with the increase, she added that “it’s certainly not the critical mass to create the kind of climate and learning environment we’d like to see.”
Pitts said the University has stepped up its recruitment of students of color in recent years.
While the University’s population has increased, it is seeing declining numbers in students from other parts of the world.
According to the Office of International Programs, the international-student population is down again this year at 1,170 students compared to 1,273 last fall, with fewer returning students. The number of international students has been decreasing since 2001.
International Programs Director Magid Shirzadegan said there are several reasons that contributed to the decrease, including rising tuition rates.
“It could be that students
can’t afford to come for all four years,” he said of the decreased number of returning students. “It could have to do with the increased cost of education.”
Shirzadegan added that in the aftermath of Sept. 11, it has become increasingly difficult for international students to obtain student visas, especially students from Muslim countries. Some students have even been denied visas because they are considered security risks, Shirzadegan said.
“The increased scrutiny by the U.S. Consulate … has scared a lot of students from coming to U.S. universities,” he said. “Parents of students are worried (about) their kids being harassed by government officials.”
He said the number of students from Muslim countries has decreased substantially since Sept. 11. However, he said more students have been coming from other regions of the world, including Southeast Asia. Shirzadegan said there were “a little more students from Korea and more from Taiwan.”
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