By Eliot Schiaparelli

According to Patricia Peek, dean of Undergraduate Admissions Fordham’s class of 2023 is shaping up to be academically stronger than those which preceded it. As of 8 p.m. on April 30 about 80% of students who committed to the university had put down their deposits.

Peek said the incoming class so far had a 3.6 GPA on the 4.0 scale, which she said was about even with last year’s. 77% were in the top 25% of their high school class, 2% more than in the class of 2022. The average High Score on the ACT/SAT was 10 points higher than last year at 1350 vs. 1340.

According to Peek’s preliminary numbers, 34% of enrollees were domestic students of color and another 10% were international.

“Diversity remains a priority as we seek to create the Class of 2023; we have been making some gains in recent cycles and are hoping to continue that trend,” said Peek.

Fordham’s acceptance rate is currently 44% and the university is anticipating about 2,200 total students in the class of 2023.

The spring preview speech of Rev. Joseph McShane, president of the university, students from 49 states were accepted this year with the exception being North Dakota.

Peek said so far 45 states and Washington, D.C., plus more than 50 countries, are represented in the deposit pool.

“Each year we are pleased with the talented students we have the opportunity to evaluate as we build the class,” said Peek. “So many students present diverse backgrounds, experiences, have amazing academic credentials and demonstrate leadership and commitment to service. So far, the Class of 2023 continues to show the promise of excellence.”

The admissions department made a few changes to the admissions process this year. Peek said they sent financial aid awards to students earlier, communicated more with parents and held more off-campus admissions events.

As for Fordham’s much talked about yield rate Peek said she expects it to be around 11%, which is in line with past years.

“We try to make incremental gains each year, but this is an especially talented pool with many options,” said Peek. “That puts pressure on improving our yield.”

Lilly Gieseke, FCRH ’23, said that she chose Fordham due to its reputation of as a liberal arts institution.

“I might want to go into languages or something along [the lines of communication]… and to know that I can easily find a place to practice what I learn with real people is very comforting,” she said.

Gieseke said she was also impressed with the New York City atmosphere.

“I liked the fact that the school uses NYC as a continuation of the campus,” she said. “Also I’m pumped to be neighbors with the botanical gardens.”