Preliminary numbers released by ASU project that the class of 2022 will be, “the largest and most academically inclined class to date.”
The University's admissions department reported 12,758 enrolled freshmen, 55 percent of which received one of three prestigious New American University scholarships, placing its members in a unique academic spotlight.
Scarlett Uribe, a Barrett, The Honors College student and graphic design freshman, said financial aid and scholarship acceptance played a huge role in choosing to attend ASU.
“Everything’s been covered except for books and art supplies," Uribe said. "I am a National Hispanic Merit Scholar. I’m also a first generation college student, and I was awarded a scholarship through my school district — that coupled with financial aid, I was able to get almost a full ride.”
More reported statistics suggest that ASU’s current freshman class is projected to outrank its predecessors in terms of overall enrollment rates, STEM-related majors and diversity among students, according to University data.
There has been a 12% increase to date in freshmen since the fall of 2017, according to preliminary numbers. This would make this year’s freshman class one of the largest to attend the University.
Chancellor Johnson, a senior studying journalism, called ASU's class of 2022, “bright-eyed." A former community assistant, Johnson has seen at least three waves of freshman classes arrive and make their way through the University.
“These students seem eager to get started," Johnson said. "They want to be active and want to be involved, which is always good to see.”
The brains behind the student body
Joel Casteel places emphasis on his drive for academics. As a software engineering freshman, he is most apprehensive about the distractions that come with college life.
“I’m not looking forward to any distractions or getting overloaded at times," Casteel said. "But I’m excited for what I’m going to do next.”
Previous years have shown a continual increase in the enrollment in STEM-related majors, according to data.
“I want to be able to know the ins and outs of everything," Sean Gannon, an automotive engineering freshman, said of his reasoning for choosing his major.
"I’ve gone into engineering to further that knowledge, and, hopefully in the future, I can build super cool cars for people,” he said.
ASU is a melting pot
International student enrollment rates continue to increase, data shows. In addition, transfer student enrollment has increased by at least seven percent since 2017, according to preliminary reports from University officials.
Unofficial numbers show that a third of ASU's class of 2022 are out-of-state students.
Caroline Yu, a journalism freshman, is originally from Houston, Texas and chose ASU because “it’s a brand new horizon."
"It’s a little scary, but at the same time, it’s exciting," Yu said. "ASU has a really good journalism program, and it was my best option.“
New students bring forth new ideas
At a school repeatedly ranked no. 1 in innovation, ASU is experiencing a rise in innovation degrees.
Innovation in Society is a new degree program established two years ago that is attracting freshmen to the University.
Jason George, a freshman studying innovation in society, said he believes his class is going to have a huge impact on society.
“I think we’re gonna be one of the first classes that offers big, new ideas compared to how a lot of the world is running right now," George said. "I think we’re going to have a huge impact in the world if we choose to do so.”
Reach the reporter at jjcabre1@asu.edu or follow @justlittlejoy on Twitter.
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