Incoming freshman class: brighter, more diverse

This year’s incoming freshman class is one of the most academically talented and diverse in the 154-year history of the campus.

A class of approximately 5,500 freshmen is projected, below last year’s total of nearly 6,100. Because students were able to register for classes for several weeks after the semester officially began on Sept. 3, final enrollment numbers won’t be available until early October.

“We are slightly under where we wanted to be this year in terms of new freshmen,” Seltzer says. “We were a little high last year.”

Seltzer says his office targeted a class of 5,740, but a combination of conditions contributed to a slightly smaller group of students actually enrolling at UW–Madison. Some admitted students may have chosen to attend elsewhere as a result of media coverage of the Board of Regents-mandated admissions freeze, the late tuition hike, or the effects of Sept. 11 and the struggling economy, Seltzer says. In addition, some international students have reported visa problems, making it difficult for them to enter the U.S.

This year’s freshman class was chosen from a record 21,271 applications – and increase of 4.4 percent over last year and 50 percent since 1992. This year, more than 60 percent of applicants were actually accepted.

Seltzer says the high demand for access is fueled by UW–Madison’s status as one of the nation’s premier public research universities, the university’s exceptional faculty and low tuition.

The class is projected to have an average high school GPA of 3.66 (out of 4.0). About 56 percent of new freshmen graduated in the top 10 percent of their high school classes and more than 4,000 students submitted Advanced Placement scores for credit.

The class also tested strongly, averaging a 27.4 on the ACT, a 613 Verbal and a 654 Math on the SAT. Both averages far exceed state and national figures.

While the admissions office places a high priority on academic performance and test scores when reviewing applications, students’ special talents and extracurricular activities are also weighed.

“These new students possess talents and skills that go far beyond their performance in the classroom,” Seltzer says. “The number of these kids doing community service and great things in the arts or athletics is amazing.”

The class has students from nearly every Wisconsin county, all 50 states and more than 100 countries. Minority students make up about 11 percent of the class.

The total number of undergraduates is expected to remain steady at a projected 28,889, compared to 28,831 last year.