Class of 2008 includes more men, minorities
by Susanna Fraser
After months of planning, persuading and sorting through a record number of applications, Admissions can breathe a sigh of relief.
The decisions are finally in.
The university's most carefully selected incoming class ever, with an all-time low acceptance rate of 57 percent, will arrive in September.
Of the 734 accepted students, 82 ranked either first or second in their high school class. I ncoming freshmen also received credit for an average of three to four Advanced Placement classes. The average grade-point average for the group was 3.7 unweighted and 4.0 weighted.
Unweighted grade point averages are calculated using a 0.0 to 4.0 scale. Under weighted grade-point averages, students completing advanced placement, or college level, classes are awarded additional points. For example, and “A” in AP history would be calculated as a 4.0 unweighted and 5.0 weighted.
A lthough a wider range of Scholastic Aptitude Test scores was accepted this year, the average score held steady at 1285, only two points lower than that of last year's 1287.
According to Admissions Director Woody O'Cain, the slight drop in SAT scores is a small price to pay for increased diversity in other areas, including gender.
“The really good news, one of our biggest challenges, is the number of men,” O'Cain explains. “We're trying to find men –– not just any men, but those who are a good fit for Furman.”
Last year's freshman class was only 40 percent male. This year, thanks to a conscious effort by admissions to aggressively recruit and follow up with male students, that number increased to 46 percent. In general, male students tend to be more vocationally minded than women and prefer larger universities.
The group of incoming freshmen also includes 77 minority students, just over 10 percent of the class, and 10 to 15 international students.
“The challenge with international students is that there is very limited scholarship money for them,” O'Cain says. “Only about four of those students have scholarships.”
While the university continues to attract students throughout the United States , (38 states are represented in the Class of 2008), Furman continues to be a strong draw regionally. Two hundred and eight students in the class graduated from a high school in South Carolina , followed by Georgia (120) and North Carolina 84.
Furman also plans to enroll 98 legacies –– those who have had a sibling, parent or grandparent attend Furman –– in the fall, 12 more than in 2003-04.
“ We don't specifically highlight or target these students because they bring a select set of qualities others don't,” O'Cain says. “But we do give them a special look in the admissions process because of the background and knowledge they have of Furman.”
Furman's strongest out-of-state competitors this year were the University of North Carolina , Vanderbilt and Wake Forest . However, O'Cain says that Furman often attracts students by providing what larger universities cannot: a nurturing environment, internships and study abroad, and classes that are taught by full-time faculty, not graduate students.
Inside Furman is published monthly during the school year by the Furman University Department of Marketing and Public Relations. For story ideas, e-mail John Roberts, editor.
