2009 USD Fact Book

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ACADEMI CS

ACADEMICS

Admission to USD, which consistently ranks among the top schools in the United States, is highly selective. USD received more than 10,584 applications for approximately 1,100 undergraduate openings in Fall 2008. The Class of 2012 entered with a GPA of 3.79 and an average SAT score of 1190. In late 2008, U.S. News & World Report named the university one of the top 20 national “up-and-coming schools.” In 2003, USD joined the elite company of Phi Beta Kappa, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious academic honor society. The university was granted membership to the Mortar Board national honor society in 2000. Applicants are expected to present a well-balanced secondary school program of college preparatory courses in English, foreign language, mathematics, laboratory science, history and social science. Both the content of the academic program and the quality of performance are considered. While SAT/ACT results are used to broaden USD’s understanding of the applicant’s potential, the university is also interested in the person behind the academic history. Participation in extracurricular activities at school, in the community or through church is taken into consideration when making admission decisions. Financial Aid More than 68 percent of undergraduates enrolled in Fall 2007 received some form of financial aid, totaling more than $90 million. Funds are made available in the form of scholarships, grants, part-time employment and loans. Numbers for Fall 2008 were not available at press time. More information is available from the Office of Financial Aid or its Web site, www.sandiego.edu/financial_aid.