Freshman class increases diversity, raises SAT scores

By Johanna Mitchell

Santa Clara welcomed about 1,215 new Broncos to campus this week, enrolling fewer students than in previous years with a freshman class that boasts a record number of black students and SAT scores higher than the national average.

The 2007-2008 academic year also marks the closest the admissions office has come to meeting their enrollment target in several years, whittling a record 9,600 applicants down to remarkably near their goal of 1,200 students.

"It's looking good. We're where we need to be," said Terry Shoup, interim vice provost for enrollment management. "We've got enough classroom space and enough residence hall space to accommodate all these people, and that's important."

In recent years, bumper crops of new freshmen faced a variety of difficulties, including cramped dorm rooms, makeshift residence halls and overcrowded classrooms. To prevent similar circumstances this year, the admissions office intentionally accepted fewer students.

For the university, lower numbers can mean higher-caliber students as Santa Clara becomes more selective, Shoup said. Though the class of 2011 comes to campus with an average high school grade point average of 3.49 -- lower than the class of 2010's incoming GPA of 3.6 -- they bring higher SAT scores, averaging 1217, several points higher than their predecessors and contrary to a national trend that shows that mean SAT scores have dropped over the past two years.

In an August press release, Dean of Undergraduate Admissions Sandra Hayes noted a significant increase in diversity -- especially among black students -- citing outreach as an important catalyst in attracting the 63 black as well as the 171 Latino freshmen that submitted deposits this fall. The ethnic profile of the class of 2011 marks a 62.5 percent increase in black students and a 13.7 percent increase in Latino students when compared to the class of 2010.

"We do a lot of outreach to students in all ethnic groups, and it really pays off. We feel very positive about this year's enrollment," said Hayes. "We worked very hard, making personal contacts and encouraging these students to visit our campus."

Each year admissions representatives meet with high school counselors and try to make prospective students aware of the financial aid and support services available on campus, said Richard Toomey, associate vice provost for enrollment management.

"We have admissions reps who focus on certain high schools with high populations of underrepresented students," Toomey said.

The new members of the student body are diverse geographically, as only 56 percent are California natives, and the rest hail from 39 other states and 18 countries.

Gender representation is more balanced than last year, at 52 percent female and 48 percent male, compared with a 55 percent female majority in the class of 2010.

As the latest set of freshmen adjusts to campus life, campus will be adjusting along with them; construction of the Santa Clara's new library and business school are on fast tracks to completion.

Shoup said the completion of the new library and business school are likely to cause a spike in interest and make Santa Clara a "preferred destination" for future collegiates, adding that the admissions office expects to receive even more applications for the class of 2012. By August, 900 students had already submitted applications for the 2008-2009 academic year.

Contact Johanna Mitchell at (408) 554-4546 or jjmitchell@scu.edu.