The freshman quad grass is flattened, the dorms full and the Class of 2013, whatever it is ultimately called, has arrived.
The most obvious difference between the entering class and that before it is the size. Comprised of 468 students, the class has 29 more members than last year’s class, the result of a policy decision made by the College to increase the student body size, and thus the revenue stream, in light of the endowment’s losses.
The 468 students come from a pool of 7,679 applicants, the second largest applicant pool in school history. Students hail from 39 states and 23 countries, from 388 different schools and from backgrounds that are beyond comparison.
“Among you are only children, one with nine siblings, twins, adoptees, immigrants, children of single parents, divorced parents, those raised by grandparents, those who are disabled, those who are TV producers, nomads, homemakers, those who perform neurosurgery, who are in jail, casino dealers, teachers, cab drivers, on welfare, who are battling cancer and addiction, who prosecute terrorists and a few who claim to be professional ‘hippies,’” said Fretwell. “You have lived in apartments, mansions, on farms, in homes with dirt floors and marble floors, on islands, in trailers, on military bases.”
Forty percent of the class self-identified themselves as students of color, slightly less than 10 percent are non-U.S. citizens, 18 percent are first generation students and 54 percent are receiving some sort of financial aid from the College. In total, “This class has half or slightly more than half of its members as American students of color or non-U.S. Citizens,” said Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Tom Parker, something that makes the Class of 2013 stand out from any classes before it.
There is also one veteran matriculating, a community college transfer student, who is the first beneficiary of the newly created Veterans Scholarship Fund. He is one of 17 transfer students, out of a pool of 390 applicants for fall transfer admission.
One member of the Class of 2013, according to Fretwell, was a cast member at Disney, another helped restore a castle, and two, “perhaps an unprecedented two” led Young Republican Clubs. Many more are former concertmasters and mistresses, which led Fretwell to proclaim the entering class the class of violinists. “I have plans to get my orchestra tickets early this year,” joked Fretwell in her speech, “As you should too.”
A Slight, though no less Bitter, Drop in the Rankings
Just as the Class of 2013 arrived on campus, showing off the Admissions Office’s year of hard work, the U.S. News and World Report Rankings hit the stand, with Amherst dropping to number two in the liberal arts rankings and Williams College claiming the top spot.
Last year, the two were tied at number one in the rankings, with Amherst atop the list thanks to the foresight of its founders, who gave the College the first letter of the alphabet. This year, though, thanks in part to a larger percentage of classes over 20 (75 vs. 70 percent), a higher selectivity rank (five vs. nine) and a higher financial resources rank (three vs. nine), Williams is alone at the top.
Rounding out the top five in the liberal arts ranking are Swarthmore, Middlebury and Wellesley Colleges. Locally, Smith College was ranked 18, Mt. Holyoke College 25, and Hampshire College 105.