The Class of 2001 Arrives in New Haven

When classes resume on Wednesday, September 3, Yale College will welcome the 1,310 members of the Class of 2001 to New Haven.

The admissions process this year was the most selective in recent memory: fewer than 18 percent of the 12,046 applicants were admitted. Nearly every state in the union is represented, as are 39 foreign countries, including Russia, Sri Lanka, Morocco, Nigeria, and Denmark. More than 54 percent of the class attended public high schools; the rest studied at private and parochial schools. Worldwide, 884 secondary schools are represented.

The Class of 2001 includes one of the top swimmers in the Caribbean; a five-time world karate champion; a member of the Canadian debate team; an Alvin Ailey dancer; a board member for Native American activities at the Museum of Natural History; and a music major who conducted a city orchestra while he was still in junior high school.

Median SAT scores were 720, in both verbal and math. The freshmen class will have slightly more women (664) than men (646). Thirty percent of the class identify themselves as members of a minority group.

“I am amazed at the power and talent of this year’s freshmen class,” said Margit Dahl, Yale College’s Director of Admissions. “The admissions process this year was highly selective, and we have an exceptional group. We are pleased and excited to welcome them to New Haven.”

There are 101 freshmen students whose parents do not have a college background and two students who are the sixth generation of their families to attend Yale.

There are 5,300 undergraduate students at Yale College. The University is composed of Yale College and of eleven graduate and professional schools, with a total attendance of approximately 11,000 students.