9-14-99
COLUMBUS -- Ohio State University officials involved in the delicate science of freshman admissions say their continued recruitment of high-ability students is helping the university retain more students and graduate them more quickly.
When classes begin on Sept. 22, Ohio State will open its doors to the brightest first-year class in the university's history, based on a variety of scores and other measures, said James Mager, assistant vice president for enrollment management.
According to projected figures, the entering class reports a higher average ACT score (at least 24.6, compared to 24.2 last year), higher percentages of students ranked in the top 25 percent and 10 percent of their high school classes (61 percent and 29 percent, respectively, over 56 percent and 26 percent in 1998) and the highest number by far of National Merit Scholars. As many as 112 National Merit Scholars and about a dozen National Achievement Scholars are expected to enter Ohio State this year, compared to 74 and six scholars, respectively, in last year's class.
In addition, approximately 1,300 students are expected to enroll as honors students, and the class will feature at least 700 University Scholars -- an increase of nearly 100 over last year. University Scholars are students who typically rank in the top 3 percent of their high school classes and have ACT scores of at least 29 (out of a possible 36) or SAT scores of at least 1300 (out of a possible 1600).
The class is expected to include at least 220 high school valedictorians -- up from 186 last year. Also, fewer students will take remedial math and English courses. Approximately 500 students are expected to take remedial math, down from 690 in 1998, and roughly 300 will take remedial English -- compared to 317 in 1997. The remedial English numbers have not reduced as quickly because the Department of English recently raised its ACT score standards, Mager said.
He noted that placement in remedial courses has dropped dramatically in the past five years. In 1995, 1,317 students, or 23 percent of the incoming class, enrolled in remedial math, and 698 freshmen, or 12 percent of the class, enrolled in remedial English.
The freshman class enrollment as of mid-August was estimated at between 5,900 and 5,950 students -- compared to the 6,092 freshmen enrolled last year. Final enrollment figures will not be available until mid-October.
Officials intentionally sought to reduce the freshman class size, with hopes to enroll 5,800, Mager said. As the university seeks to level out total undergraduate enrollment, a smaller first-year class is desired because retention improvements mean higher numbers are enrolled in the upper classes, he said.
Mager said the retention rate is expected to increase from 81.9 percent for the freshman class of 1997 to above 83 percent for the class of 1998. Since 1994, the retention rate has steadily improved from a rate of 77.7 percent.
"The fact that there are fewer people in the freshman class does not mean it's a down year in any way," Mager said. "We're already seeing that this increased academic profile not only translates into a good student body; it also translates into better retention and increased graduation rates."
The incoming class will be more diverse than last year's class, as well. Between 560 and 570 African Americans are expected to enroll, compared to 554 last year; the Hispanic enrollment should increase from 136 to at least 140; approximately 23 to 26 American Indians will attend, compared to 17 last year; and Asian American enrollment should remain steady at about 338 students.
Transfer student enrollment is expected to decline by at least 200 students, Mager said, because the university enforced a June 25 application deadline for autumn enrollment.
"In the past, we left transfer admissions open until the beginning of school, and those admitted after the deadline tended to have trouble getting into courses and finding housing. They had good credentials, but the late start caused them difficulties," he said. "We were not doing them favors by admitting them later, and we think they'll be better served if they transfer to the Columbus campus for winter quarter."
Mager said preliminary figures indicate that the Columbus campus undergraduate enrollment is expected to remain steady at approximately 36,250 students, thanks primarily to the higher number of returning students.
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Contact: James Mager, Enrollment Management, (614) 688-5791