The Class of 2022 makes its mark

Members of the Class of 2022 won’t officially arrive until the start of the fall semester, but the students are already making a remarkable first impression.

“We continue to attract the most civically engaged and diverse student population in the university's history,” said Tulane University President Mike Fitts.

The incoming class is also the most academically accomplished, as the students boast an average ACT score of 32 and an average converted SAT score of 1456.

“By choosing Tulane, these students are about to embark on a journey of discovery and transformation through interdisciplinary research, learning, leadership opportunities and cultural experiences unavailable anywhere else."

— Tulane University President Mike Fitts

Satyajit Dattagupta, vice president of enrollment management and dean of undergraduate admission, noted that the university’s world-class faculty and location resonated with the approximate total of 1,890 students heading to Tulane from across the globe.

“Tulane is a premier academic institution, where students can engage with faculty but also be part of a vibrant community in the best college town in the country,” he said.

The new Tulanians will be coming in from across the nation, with the largest representations from New York, California and Louisiana. International students comprise 6 percent of the class.

“Having yield events all over the country and in India, China, Turkey, Panama and Dubai helped to create an awareness of Tulane, and we’re seeing the benefits of that recruitment process,” said Dattagupta. “We’re also very pleased that our yield — the percentage of admitted students who enroll —  went up to 29 percent.”

Receiving 38,813 applications for fall 2018 — a 9 percent increase from last year — the Office of Undergraduate Admission reported that the acceptance rate was 17.5 percent as compared to 21 percent in 2017.

“In terms of students being admitted, this is Tulane’s most selective class,” said Dattagupta, who described the application process as a holistic review of the students’ ability to succeed at Tulane with a prime focus on academic fit.

Dattagupta added that by hosting two fly-in programs, which offer college tours for prospective students from underrepresented backgrounds, Tulane also created additional opportunities for students from a wider variety of backgrounds.

That effort was successfully reflected in the diversity of the Class of 2022, in which 22 percent are students of color.

“By choosing Tulane, these students are about to embark on a journey of discovery and transformation through interdisciplinary research, learning, leadership opportunities and cultural experiences unavailable anywhere else,” added Fitts.