Randolph College Welcomes Strong Class of New Students for 2008-09

LYNCHBURG – Randolph College will welcome approximately 180 new students for the 2008-2009 academic year. New students arrive Aug. 26.

The college was able to meet key goals of maintaining its diversity and academic standards and increasing its net tuition revenue. The goals were met while overcoming two years of challenges, including a switch to coeducation, a name change, and lengthy litigation that eventually ended in the college’s favor.

“The past two years have been far from the typical recruitment experience, yet we will welcome another academically strong first-year class,” said John W. White, dean of enrollment and financial services. “The College has been able to maintain its commitment to providing students with an affordable, yet high caliber educational experience, while successfully addressing what has been a decades-long issue with net tuition revenue.”

This fall will prove to be an exciting one for the college as it celebrates the inauguration of President John E. Klein, welcomes Dean of the College Dennis Stevens and Athletic Director Tina Hill, offers the first full year of a curriculum and instruction emphasis in the education graduate program, adds men’s lacrosse, and completes a new field and track complex. Women’s lacrosse will begin at Randolph in 2009.

“We are excited about the coming year, and about how our campus community is coming together for our second year of coeducation,” White said. “The members of this incoming class bring strong attributes academically, athletically, and with their leadership experiences and will enrich our community.”

In addition, the college has seen a surge in interest from prospective students for the next academic year (2009-2010). Two years ago, the yearly number of inquiries totaled 8,000. The following year brought a total of 14,000 inquiries. So far this year, the college has received more than 21,000 inquiries from prospective students.

“The college has a strategy in place to increase our enrollment over time,” White said. “The changes that we have made over the past two years have set a course for this college that will allow us to embrace our future confidently and with a strong foundation.”

A few facts about the first-year class:

· 90 percent of the first-year class is in the top 50 percent of their class.

· The average high school grade point average for incoming first-years is 3.4 (using a 4.0 scale).

· This year, the top states in recruitment include: Virginia, North Carolina, Maryland, Texas, and New York.