The numbers are still coming in
The Class of 2012, this fall's entering class, is shaping up to be more diverse, according to Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Seth Allen, who is completing his first year at Grinnell.
"The shape and distinction of this year's class is exciting," Allen said. "The hard work of the admission and aid offices has paid off."
Some of that positive movement Allen credits to a restructuring of Grinnell's financial aid packaging that took place in February. "Capping need-based loans and having a more generous definition of demonstrated need and family contribution has had a positive impact," Allen said. "We're seeing this in applicant numbers and in our yield."
Although the entering class numbers are not final, and won't be until after New Student Orientation in August, here's a glimpse of how the new class was shaping up as of May 3:
- Applications were up 3 percent.
- The acceptance rate this year is 35% versus 40% last year.
- Enrolled students of color are up 22 percent.
- Preliminary demographics indicate a higher number of students enrolled from the Mid-Atlantic, New England, and West Coast states.
- Bucking the national trend at liberal arts colleges, a higher proportion of enrolled students are males this year vs. last year (47% vs. 45%).
- 67% of enrolled students are in the top 10% of their high school class.
- Although the number of international students is down this year, last year was an exceptionally high enrollment and this returns the entering class to "our recent average," Allen said.
