Correction: Due to a copy editing error, in the Aug. 21 edition of The Observer, it was said that this year's pool of applicants to Saint Mary's was less competitive than in recent years. The applicants this year were of the same caliber as previous years, according to Gwen O'Brien, director of media relations for the College. The Observer regrets this error.
The Saint Mary's Class of 2014 is the College's most diverse class yet, Gwen O'Brien, director of Media Relations, said.
O'Brien said 16 percent of the class is a member of a historically underrepresented group.
In 2007, Saint Mary's President Carol Ann Mooney committed to increase the diversity of the student body in the Strategic Plan.
"In regard to the student body, her goal over five years was to increase the enrollment of students from historically underrepresented minorities to at least 15 percent," O'Brien said.
The incoming class will be made of 335 first years, down from last year's class of over 400.
The applicant pool was less competitive than previous years, and Mona Bowe, vice president for Enrollment Management said she believes this could be due to "timing."
About 25 percent of the student body is from Indiana, Bowe said, and in the past two years the state has reduced aid for students from a maximum of just over $10,000 to $7,000," Bowe said.
Over 90 percent received higher than a 3.0 GPA while in high school, and 70 percent were in the top 25 percent of their class.
The Class of 2014 also represents 28 states and 3 countries: Mexico, Bolivia and Peru.
"We're looking at our data to understand why the College didn't get the level of first year commitments anticipated," Bowe said.
