For Immediate Release

Date: August 23, 2006

BLOOMSBURG—Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania's approximately 2,000 new students have been selected from a record number of applicants. 

According to admissions director Chris Keller, the incoming fall freshmen were drawn from a new university record of 8,825 applications. This figure is an increase of 600 over last year and 2,000 over the number of applications received five years ago. 

Keller added that the students who applied to BU have become more committed to attending the university. "We've made fewer offers of admission this year, but the percentage of students who accepted that offer has increased. This really is a credit to the faculty and staff who have helped us throughout the year with our recruitment efforts."

Keller said that the incoming freshmen students are remarkable for their involvement in clubs and organizations while in high school.

Ninety percent of freshmen were involved in at least one club or organization in high school with 29 percent holding leadership positions. Thirty-four percent were involved in high school student government.

Academically, incoming freshmen had an average SAT score of 1045 and were in the top 29 percent of their high school class. New freshmen include eight valedictorians and five salutatorians, including the top three students from Central Columbia High School.

Although final enrollment figures won’t be available until the 15th day of classes, the preliminary count lists 1,300 new fall freshman. Another 135 students entered BU in June through the Act 101/EOP program for educationally and economically disadvantaged students and 200 enrolled in their first classes as summer freshmen. There are also 375 new students transferring from other institutions. 

More than 85 percent of BU students are commonwealth residents with the largest group of out-of-state students hailing from New Jersey. New students are coming from 12 different states, and six foreign nations, according to Keller. 

Bloomsburg University is one of 14 universities in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. The university serves approximately 8,000 students and offers 58 bachelor’s, 16 master’s and one doctoral degree.

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