University of Virginia Library

350 Women Fill Out Profile Of Entering Class

Black Students Make Up
Record Percentage Of Class

By Bryan DeLaney
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

In addition to the record number of
black first-year men, the profile of the
incoming class is highlighted by some
unusual curves as women enter the University
in its first year of coeducation.

In the entering class of approximately
two thousand there are 350 women and
92 black students. There are an additional
100 women enrolling in the college as transfer
students in the upper classes, and there are also
thirteen women entering the School of Architecture
and four entering the School of Engineering.
These figures obviously represent a
major change in the University community.

Record Number

As a result of the black recruitment program
recently initiated by the Admissions office,
there were a record number of black applicants
for positions in this year's entering class. Out of
approximately 191 applicants some 92 black
students have enrolled this fall. Many others,
although accepted for admission, chose to
attend other institutions.

That the University could ever actually
become coeducational must come as a surprise
to many alumni and old friends. This is in fact
the case, though, and rather than brace itself
for the shock the University community seems,
at present, to be giving itself freely to the whole
idea.

Although the final decision to admit women
came late last fall the admissions office still
received 1300 applications from women either
for the first year class or as transfer students
from other institutions. According to Mr.
R.M.Lafferly of the admissions office the number
of applicants was also reduced by the fact
that many women from out of state probably
felt that the admissions standards would be
unusually high and thus never bothered to
apply. This would also seem to be one of the
primary reasons for 79 per cent of the 450 girls
enrolling being Virginians. It is expected that
the number of women applicants will increase
next year.

4000 Men

By comparison it may be interesting to note
that there were almost 4000 men to apply for
positions within the first year class with some
1300 actually enrolling.

Another change from previous years can be
found in the geographical breakdown of the
entering class. A careful observer will find
nearly 10 per cent more Virginians that previously.
Whereas enrollment has usually included
slightly over 50 per cent in state
students the figure has now jumped to almost
65 per cent. Of those students transferring to
the University, 75 per cent reside in Virginia.

With all the rumors and discussion which
passed around last year concerning the academic
standards of the University dropping
with the admission of women, it may be
interesting to examine the secondary school
records of this first year class as compared with
previous classes.

Lower SAT's

While there is no major difference between
the qualifications of the men and women, the
women did have slightly lower SAT scores. This
however, was compensated for by a much
higher class standing among the women than
among the men. It is felt by some that this
would seem to be the best indicator of potential
college performance if previous admissions
studies are accurate.

When examining this years first year class as a
whole one finds once again, among those
enrolled in the college, a minor drop in SAT
scores over the past two years, but an increase
from 56 per cent in 1968 to 65 per cent of this

year's first year men and women ranking in the
top fifth of their secondary school class.

All of these figures can only shed a meager
light on what we can expect from the first year
men and women. At best we can get an idea of
what they have done in the past and what they
may be capable of in the future. It is difficult if
not impossible, however, to determine before
hand what the performance of this class will be
and what affect the admission of women and
the increasing enrollment of blacks will have
upon the academic and social climate of the
University. Much will depend upon what goals
the entering women have set for themselves and
what interests they plan to pursue in college.
Much also will depend on the reception that
these women receive from the men on the
University.

As Associate Dean for Student Affairs Anette
Gibbs observed, "It's going to be a whole new
ball game this year, and we are making no
predictions. It should be both interesting and
exciting."