'14 Points: The freshman class by the numbers

Each incoming class at Penn is said to be better and brighter than its predecessors — this is once again true for the class of 2014.

Dean of Admissions Eric Furda confirmed the freshman class is “by objective measures, the best class we’ve ever seen.” The acceptance rate for this class was an all-time low of 14.3 percent.

The average SAT score for the class of 2014 is 2152 — up slightly from 2147 last year — according to Furda.

“As good as every other class was, this incoming class is even better,” Penn President Amy Gutmann explained.

Furda highlighted the students’ multiculturalism and diversity.

According to Gutmann, approximately 40 percent of the incoming class is of minority background, and 11 percent of the class is international.

The class includes residents of all 50 states, unlike the class of 2013, which did not have anyone from Alaska. The most represented state is Pennsylvania, with 375 students in the class of 2014. Just over 300 come from New York, 255 from New Jersey, 214 from California and 115 from Massachusetts.

The class breakdown by school is consistent with previous years. Of the 2,420 freshman, 1,460 are in the College, 390 in Wharton, 360 in the School of Engineering and Applied Science, 90 in Nursing and 120 in coordinated programs, Furda said.

Just over half — 51 percent — of the class is female.

Approximately 200 will be varsity athletes at Penn — a figure in line with previous classes.

According to Furda, 316 of the freshman are descendants of Penn alumni.

But Furda explained no one of these figures can capture the essence of the class of 2014. The Admissions Office aims to combine accomplishment and promise, not to choose the most selective or the most diverse class.

“The beauty of this is going to be the chemistry when they’re all together,” he said.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.