Class of 2023 is the most diverse in College history
Le Moyne College officially began the 2019-20 academic year by welcoming the class of 2023 to campus on Friday, Aug. 23. With 673 members, the incoming class is second only to the 678 students who arrived in fall 2014. The class was drawn from the second-largest number of applications ever received.
It the most ethnically diverse class in Le Moyne’s history, with 168 multicultural students (approximately 26 percent) and roughly one-third the first-generation in their families to attend college. More students came from outside New York state versus the class of 2022, and the number of international students rose as well. Contributing to this success were focused strategies and additional resources to expand enrollment outside of the Central New York region and beyond New York state's borders.
The academic profile for first-year students remains strong, with the average GPA for first-year students rising over last year to 3.61. The 23 students from Jesuit high schools was on par with the previous year. The top six declared majors for the incoming class are, in order, biology, business, nursing, psychology, criminology and communications. A number of students have already had meaningful global experiential learning opportunities. For example, one new Dolphin went to Peru for a service learning opportunity, while another worked to give people access to financial resources to start businesses in under-capitalized regions of the world.
“We continue to attract students from a more diverse geographic area, while maintaining a strong academic profile,” said Le Moyne President Linda LeMura. “Given the increasingly competitive nature of the higher education marketplace across upstate New York and throughout the Northeast region, our consistently strong performance in recent years is a testament to the quality and nature of the Jesuit education we offer.”
Key to the enrollment success is the
ongoing popularity of Promise NY. This comprehensive program not only provides additional financial assistance, but also promises to keep students on a path to graduate in four years, connect every student with a mentor, and provide an internship opportunity and job interview. Also helping recruitment were several enhanced admission efforts, including conducting more than 150 admitted student interviews with Le Moyne alumni, expanding the reach of admitted student receptions and connecting prospective students with members of the faculty and careers services professionals at events.
“Our impressive numbers are the result of hard work by members of the enrollment management team and strengthened by the support of so many individuals across campus, as well as our dedicated alumni base,” said Vice President for Enrollment Management Tim Lee. “These efforts are certainly enhanced by the College's reputation for academic excellence and the vibrancy of the overall student experience.”
To begin their time on The Heights, members of the Class of 2023 took part in a three-day Fall Arrival experience, which included a variety of activities such as the family blessing, a candlelight convocation, the Father Bucki Memorial Day of Service, Relationships 101, Mass on the Grass and the traditional opening day fireworks. Also part of the festivities was the "Manresa Matchup" two-on-two basketball game with Le Moyne President Linda LeMura and men's basketball Coach Nate Champion taking on Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh and Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon '02, with new Syracuse Diocese Bishop Doug Lucia serving as referee.