Campus Welcome: Another quality freshman class, along with returning students, means that Rose-Hulman will start the academic year with record enrollment. (Photo by Chris Minnick)

The 2013-14 freshman class has set records for applications and diversity, while the 561 freshmen and 15 transfer students represent the second largest number of new students in the institute's history. This success, plus returning students, means Rose-Hulman will start the academic year with record enrollment.

"We are pleased to bring to campus such an academically talented and diverse freshman class. They truly are an historic group in many ways," says James A. Goecker, vice president for enrollment management.

The incoming class was selected from a record total applications (5,046), as well as all-time high applications from women, international students, Asian American students, and Latino/Hispanic students. The size and academic strength of the applicant pool enabled Rose-Hulman to recruit one of the most talented freshman classes in recent years, according to Goecker.

Academic highlights of the 2013-14 freshman class include:

• Median SAT and ACT scores are the highest in more than a decade.
• One in 11 freshman students has a perfect math score on either the SAT or ACT.
• 93 of the 334 incoming students graduated first, second or third among high schools that rank in class.
• The median weighted high school GPA was 3.97.

Other notable attributes of the class include:

• A record number of women (125).
• Students from 34 states and nine countries.
• Nine states represented by 10 or more students with a record 57 students from Ohio. The percentage of Indiana students in the class is the lowest ever, 30 percent.
• A record number of international students with the largest group from China (48). Others will be attending from India, Thailand, Russia, Brazil, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, and Canada.

In addition to the new degree seeking students, 25 Brazilian students are attending classes for one year through the South American country's Science Without Borders program, and nine students from China, Germany, Sweden and Japan will be attending for one or two academic quarters as exchange students.

Freshman students begin moving into residence halls on Friday, August 30, and the 2013-14 academic year opens on Thursday, September 5.