Their final year of high school was shrouded in uncertainty – but this week, the first members of the Class of 2025 were warmly welcomed to Franklin & Marshall College.
On Tuesday evening, the College notified 184 early admission applicants of their official acceptance to F&M via a secure website.
The admitted students encompass a diverse range of racial, socioeconomic and geographic backgrounds.
Among the accepted early applicants, 28 percent are students of color and 12 percent come from countries outside of the United States. The class represents 20 states and nine countries.
Thirteen percent of these students will be the first in their families to attend college.
The group also includes 20 students from Florida and New York who will receive full-tuition scholarships from F&M through the Posse Foundation partnership. The program identifies, recruits and trains individuals with extraordinary leadership potential.
Reflecting the College’s commitment to need-based aid, $4.4 million in financial aid was awarded.
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"I am very proud of the Office of Admission and the Office of Financial Aid for their hard work and creativity. They have delivered a very impressive early decision cohort in a year that has been unlike any other,” said Jimmie Foster, Jr., vice president for enrollment management.
“An early glimpse of this class demonstrates Diplomats who are passionate and who persevere in doing what they love to do even in times of crisis,” said Lukman Arsalan, dean of admission.
“F&M's Class of 2025 will always remain special to me, as this was the first class that I got to personally sign admit letters for as the inaugural dean of admission,” he said.
Incoming first-year students include several nonprofit founders, a black belt in tae kwan do, and a student who created a global website to bring joy to the elderly through art sent by volunteers during the pandemic shutdown.
In response to COVID-19, the F&M admission team created a Virtual Admission Lobby to offer enhanced virtual tours, live discussions with students, and other programming.
The College remains a test-optional institution, allowing applicants to either submit SAT/ACT scores as part of their application, or have their candidacy reviewed without standardized test scores.
Early decision reflects a binding commitment to enroll if admitted. These applicants are offered the opportunity to receive an early estimate of need-based financial aid.
A second round of early decision applications received by Jan. 15 will be reviewed and decided upon by Feb. 15. The deadline for regular decision is Jan. 15, and all decisions will be made by April 1.
Welcome to the F&Mily, Class of 2025!
“An early glimpse of this class demonstrates Diplomats who are passionate and who persevere in doing what they love to do even in times of crisis."
