After
eighteen years in the same house, at the same school, and on
the same swim team, Andrew and Thomas Roos, twins from Culver
City, California, didnt necessarily plan to attend the
same college.
It
just so happens, however, that they both chose Emory. Thomas
received a Woodruff scholarship to Emory, while Andrew will
attend with a deans scholarship. Both men will join the
swim team.
I
think each of us was just going to decide where we wanted to
go, and both of us decided independently to go to Emory,
Andrew says. I know for myself, what first drew me was
the academics, but also, as a swimmer, I was being recruited
for a swim team that matched my level. When I came there I really
enjoyed meeting all the swimmers and could see myself fitting
into the team, and actually having a positive impact.
Thomas
also says Emory offered the right balance of academics and athletics.
Both Thomas and Andrew said Johns Hopkins was their second choice.
But Emory seemed a better fit overall, Thomas says.
Most others were either really good at academics or sports,
but not both.
We
have to do a very good job of making students understand what
is distinctive about Emory, says Dan Walls, the Universitys
dean of admissions. We are really recruiting the top students
in the country, the type every college wants.
The
Roos twins wont room together but anticipate spending
plenty of time in each others company, particularly in
the pool. It will be a great experience to find out what
its like to live on the East Coast, Thomas adds.
When I visited, everyone was so welcoming and friendly.
I feel like I have friends there already.
Were
very excited to have them, says swim coach Jon Howell.
Theyre both really interesting guys who have a wide
range of experiences and interests, and its always nice
to have people on the team from different backgrounds.
The
Roos brothers competed for a place at Emory with a record number
of applicants: 10,384 students vying for 4,316 acceptance letters.
About 1,270 arrived on campus this fall.
It
was a very competitive year for selective institutions because
of the economy. Parents are careful consumers, and college is
a big investment, says Walls. There is always an
interest in financial aid and scholarships, and this year the
competition and negotiation were more pronounced than ever before.
Our average student was admitted to seven other top-ranked schools.
That means were admitting an extremely high-quality group
of students.
Geographically,
Walls says, Emorys admissions efforts continue to expand,
particularly on the West Coast, although there was a slight
dip in international students this year. Minority admissions
are consistent with the Universitys overall diversity
goals with close to one-third minority students. Sixteen percent
hail from Georgia.
Emory
is one of the top schools in the Southeast in terms of diversity,
Walls says. Its identified internationally as a
school that fosters diversity, and I think the numbers bear
that out.