The Class of 2019 is the most ethnically diverse class that Elizabethtown College has ever seen. Seventy-three students identify as a minority coming from an underrepresented ethnic background.

Last year, all of the departments on campus contributed to efforts to make Etown more appealing to prospective students. While applying to and visiting the school, high schoolers got to experience “a strong commitment to sharing the Elizabethtown story on the part of many faculty, staff and students at the College,” Paul Cramer, vice president of enrollment, said of the teamwork involved in increasing the number of applicants.

After suspending the program for a year, the Admissions department offered prospective students the chance to visit overnight with current students. A revamping of the program formalized it and made it safer, according to Cramer.

Fall Preview Days and separate Department Days proved to be successful on-campus recruiting programs, occurring while students applied.

Prospective families seeking and eligible for financial aid experienced a simplified application process.

This year’s increased first-year class size, in addition to the strengthened retention rate of the current sophomore class, put Etown on a track to meet the goals of its enrollment planning.

First-year Stats breakdown:

• 213 members of National Honor Society
• 24 different states
• 203 involved in high school arts
• 262 high school athletes
• 73 identify as a minority
• 53 involved in a high school publication
• 69 members of student government
• 392 involved in some form of service