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, didn’t 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 dean’s 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 University’s dean of admissions. “We are really recruiting the top students in the country, the type every college wants.”

The Roos twins won’t 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 it’s 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.”

“We’re very excited to have them,” says swim coach Jon Howell. “They’re both really interesting guys who have a wide range of experiences and interests, and it’s 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 we’re admitting an extremely high-quality group of students.”

Geographically, Walls says, Emory’s 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 University’s 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. “It’s identified internationally as a school that fosters diversity, and I think the numbers bear that out.”

 
 

 

© 2003 Emory University