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Meet the Class of 2012

By David Gonnerman '90
September 2, 2008

Week One -- an orientation period for new students -- began Aug. 30 with a steady stream of students and their parents arriving on campus to move into their rooms and explore the campus. And meet their classmates. It probably didn't take long for members of the Class of 2012 to discover that they are part of a dynamic group of scholars.

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Members of the Class of 2012 enjoy a skit presented by the Academic Support Center that demonstrated the importance of balancing acadmics and social life while in college -- one of many events that helped the new class adjust to college life.
The 817 incoming members of the St. Olaf Class of 2012 were selected from the second largest applicant pool in the college's history. The class -- representing 45 states and 11 foreign countries, and including 98 multicultural students -- is one of the most diverse ever at St. Olaf. It also includes 53 National Merit Scholars, a record number for the college.

"The Class of 2012 brings academic prowess, geographic and multicultural diversity, and a deep commitment to St. Olaf and its traditions and values. We are delighted to welcome them to campus," says St. Olaf President David R. Anderson '74, who spent much of the weekend getting acquainted with the new Oles.

Vice President and Dean of Enrollment Michael Kyle '85 says the incoming class has one of the strongest academic profiles that the college has ever seen, with 58 percent having finished in the top 10 percent of their high school classes and 84 percent finishing in the top quarter. Twenty-two percent of the Class of 2012 earned 4.0 GPAs in high school.

"This is also a class that continues to benefit from our financial aid program, helping to ensure access to a St. Olaf education," Kyle told the college faculty at their first meeting of the year last week. "Almost 63 percent received need-based financial assistance, resulting in about $10.3 million in need-based aid. Our college has, again, provided significant financial aid to meet the needs of our incoming students."

Diverse interests
Kyle also has compiled a list of notable accomplishments of various members of the Class of 2012, citing the individual who took a 45-day canoe trip to the Arctic, a birder who has identified 283 species, another who completed a triathlon at age 11, and one member of the class who has a great, great, great grandfather who was one of the five founders of St. Olaf.

In addition, the new class includes 22 class presidents, 91 captains of 33 different athletic teams, 27 Eagle Scouts, 40 three-sport athletes, three four-sport athletes and five karate black belts. And two of the new students each have a sibling who last year was named a St. Olaf Rhodes Scholar.

Contact David Gonnerman at 507-786-3315 or gonnermd@stolaf.edu.