Winter 1997

Freshman class brings high academic credentials

The class of 2001 at Rose-Hulman may be the most academically talented in Institute history. At a time when competition among colleges and universities for the nation's best students is more intense than ever, Rose-Hulman's reputation continues to attract a freshman class with outstanding academic abilities.

"An impressive fact is the number of freshmen who were valedictorians or ranked in the top three positions in their high-school graduating class," says Chuck Howard, vice president of admissions.

"We attract ambitious students. More freshmen have taken advanced high-school courses that exceed our demanding admissions requirements," he said.

Rose-Hulman requires a minimum of four years of English and mathematics, and one year of chemistry and physics. Many Rose-Hulman freshmen have gone beyond the requirements and completed a year of high-school calculus courses, according to Howard.

"A significant number of students have already earned credit by taking college courses while in high school," he noted.

Among Rose-Hulman's 386 freshmen:

Fifty -one are valedictorians, 13 more than in 1996.

The percentage of freshmen who were ranked among the top three in their high-school graduating class increased to 23 percent.

Thirty-one earned perfect math or verbal scores on the SAT.

91 percent of the class ranked in the top fifth of their graduating class.

Their median SAT score was 1330 (700 math, 630 verbal).