With midterms having recently ended, the semester is almost halfway over. Time has flown by and soon enough the current freshmen will become sophomores and a new class will enter Quinnipiac University.

The Class of 2012 has a lot to be expected of them, and although the admissions office has yet to read any applications, since Aug. 1 they have been receiving many interested applicants.

Last year the admissions office received about 12,000 applications and accepted 40 percent. About 24 percent of them actually enrolled into the university.

However, this year the university is expected to recieve even more applications because it is the first year that Quinnipiac University put themselves onto the common application.

The common application makes it easier for students to apply to schools because instead of filling out a different form for each school, they only have to fill out one and it will be sent to the schools that are affiliated with the common application.

Another reason the number of applications may rise is because of the building of the new TD Banknorth Center. Although statistics have yet to show that the number of applications will actually increase, Pat Krsiak, an admissions representative said, “It is going to only help. It can’t not help.”

So, what is expected of students for the class of 2012? The criteria at QU has increased. The average SAT scores for critical reading and math are an 1150. The school has yet to look at the writing part of the SAT yet. The ACT scores have to be at least a 25 and the student’s grade point average must be a solid B or B+.

This specific criteria is expected for forty-six majors at Quinnipiac, but what about the other special program majors?

For the “other” five majors, physical therapy, physician’s assistant, occupational therapy, nursing, and athletic training, the criteria is a bit higher. These students are expected to have a 1200 on their critical reading and math sections of their SAT’s, a 27 on their ACT, and a B+/A- grade point average.

Since many high school students receive good grades and SAT and ACT scores, they must find ways to make their application stand out. They can do so by taking a holistic approach.

Admissions will look at the student’s entire package and see if they are leaders, well rounded, had a strong curriculum in high school, did volunteer work, and had internships.

The university is aiming to improve statistically in both the race and gender categories.

“We’re improving each year and we’re trying to increase diversity on campus,” Krsiak said.

However, he also mentioned that diversity is more than just race or ethnicity; it also is about students with different religions, opinions and interests.

In November the admissions staff at Quinnipiac will begin the application process. Through their hard work to accept the best students and to increase the diversity on campus, the expected 1300 students arriving on campus in the fall of 2008 will be one that represents QU in a promising light.