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Presenting the record-breaking Class of 2009

10:35 a.m., Aug. 29, 2005--How to recognize a first-year UD student?

Find someone named Jessica or Michael who has a grade-point average (GPA) of 3.52 or higher, made 1200 or more on their SATs and are involved in sports and/or community service.

That student will most likely be part of the record-breaking 3,536 students that make up the Class of 2009. More than 500 entering freshmen have GPAs of 4.00 or above, 200 scored over 1400 on their SATs, and two had perfect SAT scores.

“Average SAT scores and the number of students with grade point averages of 4.00 or higher coming to the University of Delaware as freshman this fall have reached new levels,” according to Lou Hirsh, UD admissions director. “This is the first year that the average entering freshman at UD has SATs above 1200.”

Delawareans make up one-third of the entering class on the Newark campus. Another 314 freshmen from Delaware are enrolling at the University's Dover, Georgetown and Wilmington Academic Centers, mostly in UD's Associate in Arts Program, which was inaugurated in fall 2004.

The new students come from 35 U.S. states, including Alaska and Hawaii, and nine foreign countries, with 1,125 from Delaware, followed by New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York and Maryland.

Once again, the largest number of freshmen, 1,279, are enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences (with 569 undeclared majors), 478 in the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics, 347 in the College of Engineering, 337 in the College of Human Services, Education and Public Policy, 327 in the College of Health Sciences and 113 in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

A higher proportion than ever before are part of minority groups--more than 15 percent--with the largest increase in Hispanic students.

More than half of the Class of 2009 participated in volunteer or community service and in sports before coming to UD.

Jessica and Michael are the most popular male and female names coming to campus this fall. There are 78 Jessicas, beating out Lauren by 10 and trouncing former favorite, Jennifer, by 27. Michael and Matthew tied last year, but this year, 102 freshmen are named Michael and 79 are Matthews. There are 14 pairs of twins enrolled.

Article by Barbara Garrison

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