Tulane University and the city of New Orleans will welcome 1,730 freshmen students to the community Friday. These students, hailing from 47 states and 25 countries, enter as the largest freshman class in Tulane history.

The class of 2019 boasts not only its size, but a dramatic increase in international students as well. This year’s 54 international students more than doubles last year’s number of 26 students.  

The number of international students contributing to Tulane’s geographical diversity is rising, while the class of 2019 is comparable to previous classes in terms of racial diversity. About 17.5 percent of the class is made up of students who are ethnically diverse.  

“I’m happy with that number, but I’m always looking to see that number increase,” said Faye Tydlaska, director of undergraduate admission and associate vice president for enrollment management.  

Tydlaska believes that Tulane is on par with its peers in terms of student diversity.

She said her team visited over 850 high schools and 20 countries last fall in their efforts to recruit the class of 2019.  

While she believes about 70 percent of Tulane applicants are suited for the school academically, she searches for the right “fit.” This includes consideration of leadership roles, public service and connections applicants have made with the school and its community.  

“These students are really looking to make a difference and leave their mark on the world,” Tydlaska said.  

While this year’s admission selectivity rate was not much different than in previous years, at about 30 percent, the class of 2019 is the largest in school history due to an increase in student yield. One percentage point more admitted students chose to accept their spot in the freshman class than last year, resulting in 83 more incoming freshmen than the class of 2018.  

Due to the number of students accepting admission offers, no students were admitted from the waitlist this year.  

In-state students make up 12 percent of the freshman class. Louisiana residents came second this year to New York as the state with the largest student representation. Behind New York and Louisiana are California, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Illinois, respectively. Tydlaska feels there is a bit of “competition” between these popular states for the top spot each year.  

The northeast is home to 35 percent of freshmen this year, a slight increase from last year’s 34 percent.  

The most popular school of study chosen by the class of 2019 was the School of Science and Engineering, followed by the A.B. Freeman School of Business and the School of Liberal Arts.  

Among the incoming freshmen, 59 percent of were ranked in the top 10 percent of their graduating high school class, up by about one percent from the class of 2018.  

While the numbers will not be finalized until October, the current median two-part SAT score is 1340 and the median ACT score is 30, as reported by Tydlaska.

The class of 2019 is the first class to matriculate under President Michael Fitts.

“He is very much on board with Tulane’s overall mission of service,” Tydlaska said. She also notes that there has been “no major shift in the kind of student we are looking for.”  

The class of 2019 will face relatively unique challenges in the job market as members of the millennial generation, though they may be more well-prepared than most.

“Our students are always well-poised once they graduate,” Tydlaska said. “Tulane does a really great job of trying to anticipate what those challenges might be for our students and putting through the resources to help them.”