"Better, Not Bigger" is Key to Westminster College Success

Record Number of Applications Makes for Difficult Admissions Decisions

Westminster College recently welcomed 380 new students for the start of its 150th academic year. Nearly 1,300 students, the most in Westminster history, applied for admission.

"Since we stress quality over quantity, it's 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 already have over 16,000 high school juniors inquiring about admission for fall 2003."

The class of 2006 comes to Westminster with a solid academic background, and an average high school grade point average of 3.3. The Westminster freshmen have an average SAT score of 1,065 - 67 points higher than the average score in Pennsylvania and 45 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 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."

Dr. Darwin Huey, associate professor and chair of Westminster's Education Department, shared his observations as a 25-year-veteran faculty member and 1974 Westminster graduate with the incoming class.

"The only real measure of education is the difference that takes place between when you come and when you leave. Well, the difference at Westminster is great," Huey said. "It's a documentable thing, and that's something I'm proud of. Students leave Westminster knowing that the measure of a person is by what you do with what you have."

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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