Westminster College Breaks Application Record for Fifth Straight Year; Welcomes 420 New Students; Applications Up 17%; New Students Up 14%

Westminster College will welcome 420 new students Friday for the start of its 152nd academic year. Over 1,500 students, the most in Westminster history, applied for admission.

The 1,547 applications were a 17% increase over last year's record 1,327 applications.  The 388 new freshmen and 32 transfer students represent a 14% increase over last year's incoming class.  Westminster traditionally limits its incoming classes to 350 new students and 25 transfers, but a large graduating class allowed for a one-year expansion.

"Since we stress quality over quantity, it forced us to make some tough admissions decisions," said Westminster Dean of Admissions Doug Swartz.  "We have implemented an early action program to help high achieving students secure a spot in future classes.  We also have two special merit scholarships to allow Presbyterian pastors and Westminster alumni employed in the education field to nominate deserving students during the early action phase."

"We already have over 14,000 high school juniors inquiring about admission for fall 2005," Swartz added.  "All of the available space in our residence halls is filled, so we expect admission into Westminster to be even more competitive next year."

 The class of 2008 comes to Westminster with a solid academic background, and an average high school grade point average of 3.42 in core classes.  The Westminster freshmen have an average SAT score of 1,082 ""80 points higher than the average score in Pennsylvania and 66 points higher than the national average.

"We strive to keep class sizes level each year, and becoming an impersonal mega-university is not part of the Westminster plan," according to President R. Thomas Williamson.

 'We have a strategic plan that emphasizes controlled growth.  We strive to become a better college, not a bigger college," Williamson said. "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 one of the most affordable national liberal arts colleges in Pennsylvania.  We are pleased to see that prospective students and their parents value the distinctive attributes Westminster has to offer.'

Total enrollment, including Graduate school and the Lifelong Learning Program, will likely approach 1,700 in the fall.  An additional 300 to 400 area residents will take non-credit courses at Westminster throughout the year.

Contact Doug Swartz at (724) 946-7107 or swartzdl@westminster.edu for more information.

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