OU in midst of record-breaking semester

The Fall 2018 semester at Oakland University will be remembered as record-breaking in many ways.

As of the first day of classes, 2,730 freshmen were registered. That beats the record of 2,658 students (2015) and is a 10 percent increase over 2017.

“This will also be our most academically talented freshman class, with an average GPA of 3.5 and SAT test score of 1130,” Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost James P. Lentini said. “This year’s freshman class has students from 56 Michigan counties, 21 states and 25 countries. More than 2,000 are from Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties and nearly 900 are first-generation college students.”

In addition, the Honors College is welcoming its largest freshman class of more than 620 students. Many have earned the highest academic scholarship Oakland University offers, as Presidential Scholars, with GPAs of 3.9 or better, and test scores of 31 or better on the ACT or 1420 on the SAT. This group of students has grown more than 30 percent over last year, more than any other group of OU students.

“This is a defining moment for Oakland University,” Provost Lentini said. “Topping the previous freshman student mark along with welcoming the largest Honors College class provides proof that OU is a first-choice destination for Michigan students.”

With the addition of Hillcrest Hall, the new student housing facility on the southern side of campus, a record number of more than 3,257 students will be living in campus housing this semester. That means the university’s new and existing housing units are all at capacity with a waitlist.

“There is a palpable energy buzzing around campus this week,” Oakland University President Ora Hirsch Pescovitz said. “I feel it, and I am so excited to have our students back on campus learning and growing in the classroom and in our community.”

Total enrollment is also trending higher, with improved student retention and solid gains in both graduate student enrollment (about 3 percent increase) and the aforementioned freshman class. There also has been a significant gain in the number of students coming to Oakland University from Wayne County.

The Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine received a record 8,517 applications for its 125-member incoming class of 2018 and the OUWB is at full enrollment after its multi-year phased enrollment growth plan.

“This is one of the most exciting times in recent memory to be on the OU campus,” Glenn McIntosh, Vice President for Student Affairs and Chief Diversity Officer explained. “When you talk about the expansion of the Oakland Center, coupled with the new housing facility, and the largest incoming freshman class, it’s easy to see OU is a school of choice for students from Metro Detroit and beyond.”

“This has been a great year and we have a great group of students who have joined OU this semester,” OU Director of Undergraduate Admissions Dawn Aubry said. “Despite ongoing declines in high school seniors graduating in our state and a projected continued decline for another decade, it’s clear more and more students want to continue their educational journey here.”

Thousands of new students packed the O'Rena on September 4, 2018 for convocation.

Oakland University is a doctoral, research university located on 1,443 acres of scenic land in the cities of Rochester Hills and Auburn Hills in Oakland County, Michigan. The University has 142 bachelor's degree programs and 138 graduate degree and certificate programs. Oakland is a nationally recognized public university with more than 19,000 students. Academics include the School of Music, Theatre and Dance and nearly 100 other majors housed within the College of Arts and Sciences, as well as an Honors College and professional schools that include the School of Business Administration, School of Education and Human Services, School of Engineering and Computer Science, School of Health Sciences, School of Nursing and the Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine.

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