University Welcomes 16,100 Students

Albany, N.Y. (August 27, 1997)  The University at Albany will welcome approximately 3,300 new students when classes begin on Tuesday, Sept. 2. This includes 2,100 freshmen and an estimated 1,200 transfer students. Enrollment is expected to total 16,100, a figure which includes 5,000 graduate students.

The freshman class was selected from 14,713 freshman applications received. In 1996 the University welcomed a freshman class of 2,007 students out of 13,667 applicants. The students come from New York State (94 percent) and 18 other states around the country. Figures are not yet available on the number of international students.

This year's incoming freshman class is marked by the presence of an estimated 170 new Presidential Scholars — the highest number yet. The Scholars program, which started five years ago with 40 students, now has about 500 students. Students are invited into this program based on their high school average and outstanding performance on standardized tests. They receive priority registration status for lower division courses, the opportunity to live in honors housing, and other academic privileges.

Michael Horlacher is a new local Presidential Scholar from Clifton Park. A graduate of Shenendehowa High School, his long-term goal is to be a physician. Living on campus at Albany is his first step towards his goal of one day going away to medical school.

Amy Jerome of Schenectady is another new local Presidential Scholar. She plans to be a psychologist. Jerome was tutored at home throughout high school because a form of muscular dystrophy made her vulnerable to respiratory infections. Because of her record of scholastic achievement, she was invited to become a Presidential Scholar at Albany.

Another unique feature of the incoming freshman class is that last year's pilot program, Project Renaissance, has doubled in size to 400 students. Students in Project Renaissance say they enjoy the small class sizes, the focus on technology, and the supportive academic environment of this living-learning community.

Students who live at Dutch Quad residence hall will find a newly remodeled dining hall, a new weight room, renovated elevators and a remodeled Stuyvesant Tower, complete with 440 new mattresses, new bedroom furniture, and a sports theme snack bar and game room. New mattresses and bedroom furniture have also been installed at Colonial Heights. High-speed ResNet connections to the Internet and library resources are now available in all the residence halls.

Contact: Greta Petry (518) 442-3095