Record year for applications yields largest class in two decades

WOOSTER, Ohio - After receiving the largest number of applications for admission in its history - more than 3,150 - The College of Wooster is preparing to welcome the largest first-year class in two decades to campus next fall.

More than 570 young men and women have accepted the college’s offer of admission and paid a deposit to secure their place in the class of 2011. Even allowing for the normal pattern of "summer melt," college officials expect that to translate into at least 560 new first-year students come the fall, which would make this the largest entering class since 1987.

"This is a talented and diverse group of individuals from all across the country," said Derek Gueldenzoph, Wooster’s dean of admissions. "There are valedictorians, class presidents, and community leaders of all sorts."

Sixty-two percent of the incoming class comes from outside Ohio. Ten percent are domestic minority students. Seven percent are international students, the highest percentage since 2001.

The College of Wooster is an independent liberal arts college, nationally recognized for an innovative curriculum that emphasizes independent learning. Each Wooster senior works one-on-one with a faculty mentor to create an original research project, written work, performance or art exhibit. Founded in 1866, the college enrolls approximately 1,800 students.