Westmont Magazine Selective Class of Students Enrolls at Westmont

An impressive group of new students arrived on campus in August, 335 first-year students representing the class of 2015 and 65 transfer students. The incoming class includes four National Merit Scholars and 275 students who’ve earned an academic merit scholarship, including three Monroe Scholars.

Monroe Scholarships, which honor top students with full-tuition scholarships, have been awarded to Katie Fedor of Stockton, Calif., Peter Matthews of Lombard, Ill., and Sophia Meulenberg of Sandpoint, Idaho. This year’s Monroe Scholars have a combined average honors GPA of 4.67 and an average SAT score of 2350 (out of 2400), the highest in the scholarship’s 10-year history.

Joyce Luy, newly retired dean of admission, said this is one of the most selective classes in Westmont history. The office of admission received a record number of applications this year, a 27 percent increase over last year. The average SAT score of first-year students is 1780, 10 points higher than last year.

“This is a class of creative, bright, young men and women who have a lot to contribute to Westmont and the global community,” Luy says. “They have stretched themselves intellectually and spiritually and are more than ready for the next step in their growth.”

Luy is also pleased about the composition of the incoming class. North American ethnic minorities make up 29 percent (97) of first-year students and 26 percent (17) of transfer students; 36 percent of the class of 2015 are men. Five international students come to Westmont from Australia, France, Netherlands, Tajikistan and Turkey. This year’s transfer students came from Texas A&M, University of Minnesota, UC Berkeley, UCLA and Gonzaga, to name a few.