ECU freshman class expected to be largest and best

(Apr. 17, 2002)   —   The incoming freshman class at East Carolina University next fall is expected to set records for both size and quality, officials said today (April 17).

Chancellor William V. Muse said, “We are extremely pleased with the high level of academic achievement by our applicants. As more and more people learn about the quality of our programs and our academic standards, we expect a continued increase in the quality of our students.”

Tom Powell, director of admissions, said the university expects about 3,400 first-time freshmen to enroll in August for the fall semester, topping the record of 3,270 set in 1999.

The new class is also on track to establish a new mark for academic excellence as measured by high school class rank, Powell said.

Because of the expected large number of freshman students, the university has restricted additional admissions for the fall semester to high-performing applicants. New applicants will need to have an SAT score of at least 1100 and be ranked in the top third of their graduating class, or they will be required to have an unweighted grade-point average of at least 3.3 on a 4.0 scale, Powell said.

Other applicants who would have been admitted under the university’s usual standards will be offered deferred admission for the spring semester, which begins in January 2003, he said.