University of Portland will welcome the largest class in school history this week when the Class of 2018 arrives on campus for Orientation. Approximately 1,090 new freshmen are expected to begin classes this fall, and the University’s total overall registered full-time undergraduate students is about 170 more than last year at this time.
“The University of Portland’s reputation continues to get stronger and stronger,” said dean of admissions Jason McDonald. “More applicants have allowed us to be more selective, and we’ve seen our academic profile and geographical diversity increase.”
The UP Class of 2018 is also highly academically accomplished, with an approximate average SAT score of 1193 and average high school GPA of 3.61. The class also is diverse in geography – 53 percent of the class hails from outside Oregon and Washington, including 26 percent from California and 9 percent from Hawaii – and in ethnicity, with 38 percent of the class identifying as minority.
Some pre-Orientation activities begin on Tuesday, August 19. International students will participate in the three-day Ohana program, and more than 100 incoming freshmen will participate in the annual Service Plunge August 19-21. They will volunteer at Cesar Chavez School, Harper’s Playground, Friends of Trees, Open Meadow School, SCRAP, King-MLK School, Astor K-8 School, Penninsula School, and United Village/Rebuilding Center.
The bulk of the freshman class and new transfer students arrive on Thursday, August 21, when they move into their residence halls. Orientation activities continue throughout the weekend.
Faculty and staff are encouraged to attend the President’s Welcome at 9 a.m. on Friday, August 22, as well as the Opening Mass at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, August 23. A “Where to Be, and When” schedule is available on the student activities website.
For more information, contact Jeromy Koffler, student activities, koffler@up.edu.