Women frosh attend U. in record numbers

The 2,350-student Class of 1998 has a greater percentage of women than any other class in University history, said University President Judith Rodin. Women make up 49 percent of the freshman class. Admissions Dean Willis Stetson said the greater number of women in this year's freshmen class is a sign of progress. "Women have always seen Penn as a viable option," Stetson said. "Although [the University's] preprofessional options are concentrated in male-dominated fields, the stereotypes are slowly but surely changing." At the convocation ceremony last Sunday, Rodin also said the Class of 1998 has the highest test scores ever in University history. The students' average SAT score was a combined 1,275 -- 598 in verbal and 677 in math -- with an average class rank in the top four percent of their high school class. Approximately 36 percent of the 13,739 applications received this year -- the highest number ever -- were accepted in the highly competitive admissions process. Of the 4,970 admitted students, 47 percent have chosen to enroll at the University. "The most heartening thing about this year was that the admissions pool was so strong," Stetson said. "My colleagues and I are thrilled with the new first-year students. They bring a lot of energy and potential and they will make their mark." This potential was evident in the statistics Rodin cited in Sunday's convocation exercises. One-quarter of the entering class held significant positions in their high school student government; 235 were editors-in-chief of their high school newspaper; 835 are accomplished athletes, with 22 Olympic hopefuls; 474 were involved in music and the arts; and 200 worked part-time, with 40 operating their own businesses. Thirty-three percent of the entering class was accepted early decision. And 63 percent of the freshmen attended public schools. The incoming students hail from across the world and the United States, with the exception of North and South Dakota. Minority students make up one-third of the class, including 157 black students, 126 Hispanic students, 518 Asian-American students and four Native Americans. Only 45 students were accepted from the waiting list, Stetson said, attributing this to the University's increased popularity. Stetson added that the increase in the number of applications this year -- up 11 percent from last year -- is an encouraging sign. Already this year, the Admissions Office has seen a 10 percent increase in number of visitors. "This year, we thought the yield would be a little off," Stetson said. "But we used the wait list only to a very limited extent." Of the 1,021 admitted Engineering students, 373 have accepted the University's offer, totaling nearly 40 percent. 103 of the 137 admitted Nursing students have enrolled. Wharton had a 66 percent yield rate, enrolling 361 of its 571 accepted students. And in the College, 1,528 of the 3,254 offers for admission were accepted. Together, the Class of 1998 has already begun to make its mark on the University. "This has been one of the most competitive admissions processes in history," said University President Judith Rodin, who took over July 1. "I feel a special bond to this entering class. And I ask [them] to put the University's intellectual resources to work."