A select group of high school seniors from around the country and the world have been offered admission to Union, capping one of the most competitive recruiting seasons.
The students were chosen from more than 4,900 applications, the second largest number of candidates ever to apply to Union. The size of the Class of 2014 is expected to be 565 students. This includes more than 200 students who were admitted through the Early Decision program, a record.
Accepted students have until May 1 to commit. To help students decide, Union will host two Accepted Student Days, April 12 and April 19. The program encourages students and their families to explore the campus, with a number of tours, class visits, campus life panels and academic presentations scheduled.
The pool of accepted students is one of the strongest academically, with 71 percent ranked in the top 10 percent of their class, up from 65 percent a year ago. Average SAT scores rose to 1335, a five-point jump from the previous year. The students represent 41 states and 34 countries.
“We feel extremely good about this group of admitted students,” said Matt Malatesta, vice president for Admissions, Financial Aid and Enrollment. “Even with the downturn in the economy, it’s been an incredibly competitive year in admissions, but we are confident we can help students appreciate the value of a Union education.”
The College meets 100 percent of demonstrated financial need for all students. The average need-based scholarship at Union is $29,000 and the average merit scholarship is $10,000.
Students who choose Union will join a campus community that has been honored with a string of prestigious academic prizes in recent weeks. Two students were named winners of a Thomas J. Watson Fellowship and two for Kathryn Wasserman Davis Projects for Peace awards. A Union student also was named a winner of a Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship, a national foundation that promotes promising scientists, engineers and mathematicians. Eight Union students have been so honored since 2002.
The College is among the country’s leading liberal arts colleges, according to U.S. News and World Report’s annual rankings, the Princeton Review Guide’s annual book, “The Best 371 Colleges,” and the “Fiske Guide to Colleges,” which features 330 of the country's best and most interesting colleges and universities.