By Adelisa Badzic ’24, Staff Writer and Digital Producer

September 27th, 2022

On September 3rd, the Fisher family welcomed the class of 2026. In addition to being the largest class to ever enroll at the university, the Class of 2026 is also the most diverse. The class comes from 17 states such as California, Florida, and Virginia. 

We spoke with Stacy Ledermann, who is the Assistant Vice President of Admissions here at the University. She answered a few questions with pride in regard to this being the most diverse class in Fisher’s history. 

“The institution’s official census date is not until October 1, enrolling as of orientation week, and to date, it was the largest incoming first-year class with 644 students,” Ledermann stated.  

There has been a 2% uprise in diversity on the campus each year within the last three (including this year) incoming first-year classes. “Among these new students, there are 44 students from out-of-state and 129 students who identify as diverse in terms of race/ethnicity. The 129 students represent 20% of the incoming class, compared to 18% last year and 16% in the fall of 2020 of underrepresented populations.”

When asked if Fisher was seeking to bring in a more diverse class, she stated that the university has been intentionally executing recruitment and retention initiatives for several years to help make Fisher a more welcoming and inclusive community. 

“As a more diverse group of first-year students enters Fisher, I am proud to be a part of the team responsible for recruiting students to the University. We continue to strive for excellence and to be a community for all students to grow and thrive as individuals.”

Ledermann would also like to add, in addition to the diversity in this year’s class, it is one of the most academically prepared cohorts of students. This class came in with the second-highest GPA of any cohort in the university’s history.

The group includes 91 honors students, 51 students who have earned the Flower City Award (for students from out-of-state), 31 First Generation Scholars, 24 Service Scholars, and 36 Urban Scholars (for students from the City of Rochester), as well as 21 students, enrolled in the Higher Education Opportunities Program (HEOP).