Western’s incoming students are interested in service and the world

Freshmen bring more ethnic and geographic diversity to campus

The 2,700 freshmen and 900 transfer students expected to come to Western are an ethnically diverse, globally minded, community-service-oriented group.

“It just seems like it’s a new generation in terms of global awareness,” said Karen Copetas, director of admission and enrollment planning, noting the high percentages of incoming students interested in community service and studying abroad.

They also want to get outside: More than half of each group expressed interest in the Associated Students’ Outdoor Center.

Even being in this group is an achievement for freshmen. This year’s freshmen class comes from the largest-ever pool of applicants: 9,512. Seventy-one percent were offered admission, Copetas said, making it the second-most selective class in the past decade.

Copetas also estimates about 21 percent of the incoming class will be students of color. And about 9 percent will come from out of state, with Alaska, Oregon, Colorado and California the top “feeder states.”