Westminster College Enjoys Lofty Admissions Numbers

Although the start of the fall semester is more than a month away, a record number of prospective students are showing interest in Westminster College.

In the past year, the private liberal arts college in New Wilmington, Pa. has seen student admission inquiries increase by nearly 8,000, the number of students submitting SAT scores increase by 15%, and applications for admission increase by 8.5%.

"Dealing with over 20,000 inquiries has been a challenge for our staff," said Westminster Dean of Admissions Doug Swartz. "Since we stress quality over quantity, it's forced us to make some tough admissions decisions. We're exploring an early decision program to help high achieving students secure a spot in future classes. We already have nearly 17,000 high school juniors inquiring about admission for fall 2001."

Westminster expects to welcome over 350 new students to campus Aug. 25. The new students have an average SAT score approaching 1,100 and a 3.4 high school grade point average.

Total enrollment, including Graduate school and the Lifelong Learning Program, will likely increase by 4% in the fall. Last fall, 1,636 students enrolled at Westminster.

"We have a strategic plan that emphasizes controlled growth. We strive to become a better college, not a bigger college," according to Westminster College President R. Thomas Williamson. "Westminster prides itself on recruiting bright, well-rounded students, and then exceeding their expectations while they are here. The unusual level of attention students receive at Westminster has led to our rankings as a national leader in graduation rate performance, while remaining the most affordable national liberal arts college in Pennsylvania. We are pleased to see that prospective students and their parents value the distinctive attributes Westminster has to offer."

Contact Dean of Admissions Doug Swartz at (724) 946-7107 for more information.

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