A look at BU's freshmen

Benedictine University's freshman class is not only the largest in the school's 120-year history, it ranks among its most scholarly.

Officials at the Lisle school say 403 freshmen began fall classes, compared to 383 a year ago. Forty-five percent of this year's freshmen ranked in the top third of their high school graduating classes, with an average GPA of 3.3 (on a 4-point scale) and a mean ACT test score of 23.

Although Benedictine's overall student body is more than 57 percent female, 53 percent of the freshmen enrolled were male. Thirty-two percent of the freshmen are minorities, with Asians composing the largest group at 18 percent. Most are from the suburbs of Chicago and attended public school (both 78 percent).

Forty-three percent of the freshmen who responded to a survey of the field of interest indicated science as their No. 1 choice.