Self-challenging Class

GAMBIER, Ohio (August 25, 2006) On August 24, Kenyon welcomed the 460 members of the Class of 2010, who bring with them a wealth of talents and experiences. They range from a Virginian who mathematically predicted the growth of HIV globally to win an award at a statewide science fair to a Minnesotan soccer player who spent a summer in the Arctic Circle running with the caribou. The class includes Americans who have never lived in the United States and a Nigerian who has never lived in Nigeria. The breadth of their interests, academic and extracurricular, is striking.

"Kenyon has always chosen to admit unique people who share passion and a desire to challenge themselves beyond what they've ever done," says Dean of Admissions Jennifer Delahunty Britz. "Yet every class seems to have an overall personality, and the members of this newest class stand out for their ambition and their curiosity about the world. They're notable for their willingness to challenge themselves beyond their comfort zone."

Certainly, they have gained admission to Kenyon against greater odds than any previous class. This year the College received an historic 4,251 applications for admission, leading to a record low admittance rate of 32 percent, four points lower than last year. Over the last six years, applications to Kenyon have more than doubled.

Early decision applications increased by about 25 percent over last year. "Our surge in ED applications was remarkable," says Britz. "Higher ED numbers suggest that Kenyon is becoming more students' first choice." Forty percent of the class, or 185 students, were admitted from the early-decision pool.

Diversity is a theme across the class, reflected in terms of ethnicity, nationality, academic and extracurricular interests, and American geographical distribution. Fourteen percent of the class are American students of color. Eight percent hold a passport from another country, hold dual citizenship, are permanent residents of another country, or are U.S. citizens who have lived large portions of their lives outside the U.S. Twenty-five different countries are represented among these thirty-nine students.

For the first time in recent history, the class achieved full gender balance, with 50 percent female students, 50 percent male. The Class of 2010 counts thirty-four first-generation students among its members, up from twenty-four last year.

The academic quality of the class remains high. Thirty-four percent had high school grade-point averages of 4.0 or higher. Fifty-seven percent graduated in the top tenth of their class. The middle 50 percent of combined SAT scores ranged from 1840 to 2130 (620-730 critical reading, 600-690 math, and 620-710 writing). The middle 50 percent of ACT scores ranged from 27 to 32. Fifty-four percent of the class have taken calculus. On average, members of the class took four AP courses in high school.

Related Links
2006 Orientation Program