Chris Satterlee is an intellectually curious high school senior who plans to major in physics. Soon, he could join the College's Class of 2011.
Satterlee is one of 2,000 freshman applicants who have been admitted to the College for the 2007-08 academic year. The Rotterdam, N.Y. teen was among a record 4,834 students who applied for admission, including 435 international applicants. Letters of acceptance were mailed March 26 and students have until May 1 to make their decision. Approximately 560 students will be part of the Class of 2011.
This week, Saterlee and his parents joined hundreds of other accepted students at a special luncheon with faculty and staff in Memorial Fieldhouse. A second event, including a campus tour and opportunities to meet faculty, will be held Monday, April 16.
“I have interests outside of physics and mathematics, which is why I am leaning more toward Union and the University of Rochester, rather than MIT or RPI,” Satterlee said. “I am in AP English this year and I read a lot of literature. I like philosophy and I play guitar. I want a school that has good facilities for extra-curricular activities.”
The students admitted to Union boast an average grade of 92 in their high school graduating classes and an average SAT score of 1,310, up slightly from a year ago. Nearly 90 percent of those offered admission submitted SAT scores, which were optional for the first time.
Union received applications from 48 states and Washington, D.C. The largest number of applicants were from New York, though the percentage dropped 2 percent to 35 percent as the College continued to expand its outreach efforts; Massachusetts was second. The percentage of women admitted increased from 47 percent to 50 percent and the number of minorities admitted was up by 10.
The college accepted 41 percent of all applicants.
“By all measures this was Union's largest and best applicant pool,” said Dan Lundquist, vice president for admissions. “Our admitted students will have many very attractive options and we are all – staff, faculty and students – working hard to ensure these students give the college a careful look.”
Union College, founded in 1795 as the first college chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, offers programs in the liberal arts and engineering to 2,100 undergraduates.
The College is consistently included in the top tier of the country's leading liberal arts colleges, according to U.S. News and World Report's annual rankings. The College is ranked 39th out of 215 schools in the 2007 edition of America's Best Colleges. Last summer, the New York Times included the College on its list of 20 “hidden gems” in the higher education landscape.