Class of '00 to represent all 50 states

More than half of the incomingMore than half of the incomingfreshman class is female andMore than half of the incomingfreshman class is female andminorities account for 33 percent The University's Class of 2000 will, for the first time in more than a decade, represent all 50 states and include more females than males. Approximately 2,350 students -- 48.5 percent of those admitted -- will attend Penn next fall, according to Admissions Dean Lee Stetson. Of those attending, 1169 are female -- just over 50 percent of the class. Stetson said he was pleased with the size of the class and confident that the University had fared well in its competition with other Ivy League schools. "It was a challenging year because it was such a selective admissions process," he said. "We had to make some difficult choices." Penn admitted 29 percent of its 15,000 applicants. Stetson said because of the relatively high matriculation rate, the Admissions Office will use the wait list less than usual. Approximately 1,500 students enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences, 390 in the Wharton School of Business, 390 in the School of Engineering and Applied Science and 80 in the Nursing School. Forty-four students enrolled in the Management and Technology program and 38 enrolled in the International Studies and Business Program. "We had a myriad of students involved in their community and their school with leadership roles," Stetson said. "They bring a lot of energy and enthusiasm for Penn." The average SAT verbal score for the incoming class is 667 -- compared to 664 last year. The average SAT math score is 691 -- slightly higher than last year's math average of 686. Pennsylvania boasts the highest number of matriculants with 439. New York and New Jersey are also well-represented, with 375 and 325 students respectively. Alaska, South Carolina, North Dakota and South Dakota will contribute one student each to next year's freshman class. Fifty-five countries will be represented by 219 students. And 769 minorities plan to matriculate with the Class of 2000 -- 535 Asians, 130 blacks, 100 Hispanics and four Native Americans. Stetson said approximately a third of those admitted -- 1,200 to 1,400 students -- came to the campus for Penn Preview Weeks in April. "Many of them come to confirm their decision to come to Penn and others are really on the fence," he said. "It really is a good decision maker for them." Stetson noted that 10 percent more students attended Penn Preview Weeks this year than last. With the admissions process for the Class of 2000 almost complete, admissions officers are already beginning to recruit next year's class, he said.