This year's freshman class is brighter and more diverse than in previous years, according to the UW-Madison admissions office.
With 56 percent having graduated in the top 10 percent of their high school class and an average grade point average of 3.66, the new class is one of the most academically talented in the campus' 154-year history.
The new students' test scores are well above state and national standards with an average of 27.4 on the ACT and a 613 verbal and 654 math on the SAT.
\The freshman class has become academically more able each year over the past 10 years,"" said Keith White, associate director of admissions at UW-Madison.
According to White, the higher GPAs and test scores are ""trends that have ascended and continued.""
Minority students make up about 11 percent of the freshman class, which includes students from all 50 states and more than 100 countries.
""In terms of racial diversity, we see less striking increases over 10 years, but the trend is toward a more diverse campus,"" White said.
UW-Madison students have mixed feelings on these statistics.
""Diverse? Not really. There are a lot more Asian people in my classes but that's it,"" Emily Janicek, a UW-Madison freshman, said.
However, Ben Jindra, a UW-Madison freshman, said he sees things differently.
""I definitely sense diversity. My high school was much less diverse'we had maybe two or three black people in our entire school,"" he said.
Theresa Vidaurri, chair of the Multicultural Student Center and a UW-Madison senior, said she feels that ""diversity was and is still a problem."" While recruitment is important, she said she believes that there needs to be more emphasis on retention of minority students.
Vidaurri said that programs sponsored by the university to attract middle and high school students such as the Pre-college Enrichment Opportunity Program and the Posse Program are to credit for the increase in diversity. Both programs are installments of Plan 2008 and focus on increasing the enrollment and graduation rates of students of color and disadvantaged students in Wisconsin.
Jonathan Barry, a member of the UW Board of Regents, agreed with Vidaurri's assertion that the diversification is due to stronger recruitment and pre-college programs. He also said he believes that ""our higher admissions standards are attracting more higher functioning persons of color.""
Many students support this claim.
""When I first came to Madison, I noticed everyone was really hard working and I am definitely challenged by my classes,"" said Ling Cheng, a UW-Madison freshman. ""Most people are a little more well-rounded [than in high school].""
White attributes the rise in academic standing and greater diversity to an increase in the applicant pool.
""There are more high school graduates than there were last year,"" he said, which contributed to a 4.4 percent increase in the number of applicants from last year and a 50 percent increase since 1992.
More applicants means greater selectivity, White said, which is bad news for out-of-state contenders. According to the UW-Madison admissions office, more applications are received from non-Wisconsin residents, yet the university accepts more in-state students.
White predicts that the trend towards an increasingly brighter, more diverse student body should continue.
""I see no reason to think that it shouldn't,"" he said.
