ESF Class of 2013 Arrives

Best-qualified, largest class begins orientation
8/27/2009

The SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) today welcomed 287 freshmen and 238 transfer students to campus. The combined total of 525 represents ESF's largest entering class ever.

The College received a record number of applications for admission this year and accepted only 43 percent of its freshman applicants and 39 percent of its transfer applicants. Those are among the lowest acceptance rates in SUNY this year.

"As a result, the entering class is the best qualified class we have enrolled, setting new records for high school grades (a 92 percent average), test scores and class rank," said Robert C. French, vice president for enrollment management and marketing.

Said French: "It is also a diverse class with 20 percent of the freshmen coming from outside New York state, and 11 percent representing minority populations. It is the first freshman class in ESF history to enroll more women (53 percent) than men (47 percent)."

The class includes four National Merit Scholarship winners and a National Achievement Scholarship winner, an unusually high number of national award winners, given the number of entering students.

The new students were able to make many interpersonal connections prior to their arrival at ESF through a social networking site developed specifically for accepted students which encouraged them to connect with potential roommates and friends beginning last March.

French said, "In fact, we are confident that this is ESF's most 'connected' group of new students ever, and we believe that this will make their transition to college much easier than it may have been for previous classes."