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News Release

Last modified: Monday, August 20, 2012

Record IU Bloomington freshman class, returning students begin classes

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Aug. 20, 2012

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The record 7,600 first-year students enrolled for the fall semester at Indiana University Bloomington also are making their mark for academic excellence and diversity.

The new students' average score on the SAT critical reading and mathematics exams is 1202, up slightly from last year and just a point shy of the campus record. Their median high school grade-point average is 3.69 on a scale of 4.0. (The average SAT score includes results from students who took the ACT exam, converting the ACT score to an SAT equivalent and using students' highest sub-test scores).

Sixty-two percent of first-year students are from Indiana, while 38 percent are nonresidents. International first-year students represent a record number of nations, a fitting development at a time when the university prepares to open a new School of Global and International Studies. The campus also made modest gains in the number of freshmen from under-represented groups.

"The record size of this year's freshman class demonstrates that an Indiana University education continues to be a great investment," IU President Michael A. McRobbie said. "They are also an extraordinarily accomplished group, as reflected by their near-record SAT scores and high school grades. It's a true vote of confidence that IU Bloomington is the destination of choice for so many top students from Indiana, across the U.S. and indeed from around the world."

Classes began today at IU Bloomington and also at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, IU Kokomo and Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne. Classes start Aug. 27 at IU East, IU Northwest, IU Southeast and IU South Bend.

The IU Bloomington freshman class includes 769 students who were admitted to the Hutton Honors College, which was recently ranked among the top 10 large honors colleges at U.S. public universities. Among Indiana residents in the class, 87 percent earned the state's Academic Honors Diploma.

"I'm delighted to welcome this large, diverse and extremely talented group of first-year students," Provost and Executive Vice President Lauren Robel said. "It was inspiring last week to meet many new students and their families and experience their enthusiasm as they arrived on campus. I know that these students will accomplish great things during their time at IU Bloomington and beyond."

In terms of financial support, 75 percent of students in the beginner cohort who have demonstrated financial need are receiving scholarships and grants, with an average award package of $12,821.

"We are committed to keeping IU affordable by providing access to scholarships and grants from a variety of sources in order to offset loan debt and help meet the cost of attendance," said David Johnson, vice provost for enrollment management.

Nearly 42,000 students, including undergraduate, graduate and professional students, are on the Bloomington campus for the first day of classes. Final numbers, which are expected to increase somewhat, will be reported in early September for IU Bloomington and other IU campuses.

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