Class of 2008 Arrives

Gambier, Ohio (August 24, 2004) Orientation begins Thursday, August 26, for first-year students as 470 new students arrive on campus. Classes begin on Monday, August 30.

The past year wrote history for Kenyon's Office of Admissions. Not only did the College receive a record number of applications, leading to a record low admittance rate, but it composed a first-year class with increased diversity and equal numbers of men and women.

Beyond that, the Class of 2008 is remarkably social, well organized, and technologically savvy. At least, those are some of the conclusions one might draw from the Web site set up this summer by enrolled first-year students eager to meet each other electronically. They exchanged e-mail addresses, began corresponding with one another, and even organized themselves according to residence-hall assignment.

Among the members of the newest class arriving on campus this week are a young woman who has raised a thousand dollars for charity through sales of her CD; a young man who took second place on Teen Jeopardy! this year; a gospel singer-pianist who recently tried out for American Idol (results unknown at press time); a Gates and a Disney scholar; a pair of swimming twins; and a Ukrainian-born immigrant who is the sole female member of the New York State championship chess team.

From these young people and others, the Office of Admissions received nearly 3,800 applications in 2003-04, an increase of 13 percent from the previous year. Over the past four years, the College has seen a spectacular 90 percent rise in applications. The admittance rate fell to a record low of 38 percent, down from 44 percent last year and 66 percent four years ago. The percentage of admitted students choosing to enroll at Kenyon rose to a four-year high of 32.5 percent.