By Jeff Hanna
Washington and Lee University has offered admission to 1,064 of its applicants, or 18 percent, of its applicant pool for the Class of 2016 that will matriculate in the fall.
The applicant pool, which was slightly fewer than 6,000 students, includes more than 600 who applied during the University's two Early Decision programs. Of those Early Decision applicants, 232 were accepted, which represents nearly half of the entering class. The goal for Class of 2016 is 474.
The admitted students have impressive academic credentials. The average combined score on the math and verbal sections of the SAT is 1,415 (of a possible 1,600). The average score on the ACT is 31. The admitted applicants ranked in the 95th percentile of their high school classes, and 90 percent are in the top decile.
"This is another exceptional group of admitted students, and the grades and scores tell only part of the story," said William Hartog, dean of admissions and financial aid at W&L. "The accomplishments of the individual students in any number of activities, from leadership to community service to athletics, are truly exceptional. We are delighted at the outcome, and the work of our admissions staff in guiding this process has been superb."
The 1,064 accepted students come from 48 states, the District of Columbia, and 21 countries and possessions. There are 518 men and 546 women in the group with 21 percent multicultural students, including 194 American minorities. Seventy of the students are children of W&L alumni.
Meanwhile, 443 of the students, or 42 percent, have received financial aid offers totaling just more than $16 million. The average financial aid package is $37,000, and none of those packages include loans. There are 90 students eligible for Pell Grants.
W&L has offered 84 students a prestigious Johnson Scholarship. Now in its fifth year, the Johnson Scholarship provides full tuition, room and board and is awarded on the basis of both exceptional academic ability and leadership potential. Finalists for the Johnson competition spent several days on campus earlier this month when they had interviews with faculty, current Johnson Scholars and members of the admissions staff.
The University will hold its annual Accepted Students Day on Wednesday, April 25, when admitted students will be invited to attend a series of events on the campus.
Source: Washington and Lee University
