NEW: URI Posts Record-Setting Admissions Year
Thursday, March 15, 2012
This year, the University of Rhode Island saw its highest number of admissions ever. For fall 2012, the university received 20,414 applications, which is three percent more than they received last year and more than double the number received 20 years ago in its Centennial year.
"Applications have been increasing fairly steadily over the years, and then we went to the Common App in fall 2010, which gave us a good jump, and we've been moving upwards since then," said Cynthia Bonn, URI Dean of admission. "The University provides a fantastic education at a reasonable price, with a beautiful campus, and we've been working on improving our brand through travel, electronic communication, enhanced public outreach, and better large-scale events and campus tours. It's all these things combined and a lot of hard work, I can't point out just one thing to explain the increase in applications."
Higher enrollments as well
It's not only applications that have increased, but the number of students who enroll as well. A total of 3,117 students enrolled in the 2011-12 class, which is nine percent higher than the previous year, and 50 percent higher than in 1992.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTImpressive freshmen
In addition to having more freshmen, the freshmen seem to get more impressive every year. This year 826 students (26 %) qualified for the Phi Eta Sigma society, meaning that they had a 3.5 grade point-average or higher. Of the 826 students, 480 joined, making it one of the largest classes that URI has ever had. The average GPA of accepted students has also increased over the years. In 2010 the average high school GPA was 3.34, in 2011 it was 3.38, and for the students who have been accepted so far for this fall's class it is 3.46.
Due to these higher numbers of freshmen, undergraduate enrollment at the University has been gradually increasing. It has risen 14 of the past 15 years (2010 was only year in which it did not rise) to its current level of 13,602 undergraduate students, the highest in school history, and it is also 27 percent higher than in 1992 and 1 percent higher than last year.
Bonn said that URI's bigger goals as of late have made it more attractive to students who want to attend a major research school without feeling lost and unimportant. "We’ve got a terrific new brand and that certainly hasn’t hurt,” she said. “It has improved the way the University is perceived locally, regionally, nationally and internationally.”
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