THE 1996 ENTERING CLASS


	The University of Virginia's entering class of approximately
2,860 first-year students has the distinction of having the largest
number of international students ever enrolled in one class.  Ninety
international students are expected, a significant increase over the
70 in last year's class and 40 in the '94 class.  

	South Korea will have the greatest representation among
international students; 10 are expected from that country. Seven
students are anticipated from India, six from both Hong Kong and
Pakistan, four from Malaysia and the United Kingdom and three each
from Turkey, Singapore and Ecuador.

	Reflecting demographics of entering classes nationwide,
U.Va.'s new class will be approximately 55 percent female.  Virginia
residents will account for approximately 65 percent of the entering
class, chosen from 17,340 applications -- an increase of 1,800 over
last year.  About 12 percent are children of alumni.

	The number of minority students in the class is expected to
be slightly higher than last year's figure; about 12 percent of the
first-year students will be African-American; 11 percent,
Asian-American; and 2.5 percent, Hispanic.  Other minorities will
comprise about 3.5 percent of the entering first years.

	Approximately 79 percent of the first years were in the
highest tenth of their high school class -- the same number as last
year.  Three students earned perfect 800 scores on both the verbal
and math sections of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT); 67 scored
800 on the verbal part, and 88 earned perfect scores on the math
section.

	About 600 new transfer students will enter U.Va. this fall.
Of that total, the largest number, 68, comes from Piedmont Virginia
Community College.  A total of 192 students will come from the
Virginia Community Colleges System (VCCS).  VCCS students represent
45 percent of in state transfer students and 32 percent of all
transfer students coming into the University.

	"Competition for this year's entering class was unusually
strong. The graduating Class of 2000 has great potential," said Dean
of Admission John A. Blackburn.

	For more information, contact John Blackburn at (804)
982-3373.