RIPON, Wis. – The Office of Admission and Financial Aid at Ripon College has completed its profile of the class of 2011, most of whom will attend their first college classes today.

In an address to faculty and staff last week, Steve Schuetz, vice president for Admissions and Financial Aid, presented a class diverse enough to illustrate the college’s contention that there is no such thing as a “typical” Ripon student.

Many hail from big cities like Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles and even Katmandu. To others from communities like Wonewoc, Spearfish and Taylor’s Falls, Ripon might seem like a bustling metropolis. Academically, the incoming class includes a number of valedictorians, salutatorians, Eagle Scouts and National Merit finalists.

Unique points of interest include a National Tae Kwon Do Champion, a published writer and poet, a two-time American Legion state oratorical champion, a competitive race car driver who won “Rookie of the Race” at Road America, a student who runs her own tap-dance company, and a self-reported direct descendent of Edward Teach (Blackbeard the Pirate).

“Based on their academic preparation, varied life experiences, and tremendous leadership skills, there is little doubt that this incoming class will have an immediate and positive impact on our community,” said Schuetz. “Everyone in this room took some part in bringing them to Ripon. Time and time again, the incoming students tell us it the personal interactions they have with faculty, staff, coaches and students that played a major role in their deciding to attend.”

Class of 2011 Vital Statistics

• 265 first-year students, 26 transfer students
• 54% male, 46% female
• 27% from out-of-state
• 80% receiving need-based aid
• 25 legacies
• Average incoming G.P.A. of 3.4
• Average ACT of 24

About Ripon College
Ripon College, founded in 1851, prepares students of diverse interests for lives of productive, socially responsible citizenship. Ripon’s liberal arts curriculum and residential campus create an intimate learning community in which students experience a richly personalized education. Ripon has consistently been recognized as a “best value” and “Best 366 College” by The Princeton Review, a “Best Buy in College Education” by Barron’s, a “Best Liberal-Arts College” by Washington Monthly, and is listed among the 160 best schools in the nation by Colleges of Distinction. For more information about Ripon College, visit www.ripon.edu.