NC State Welcomes New Wolfpack Members For 2008 School Year

They’re back! North Carolina State University welcomes new and returning students for the beginning of the fall semester and a new academic year on Wednesday, Aug. 20.

Drawing from the largest pool of freshman applications ever, NC State has an expected freshman class of 4,700, as well as 1,050 new transfer students – bringing NC State’s student body to approximately 32,000. The expected freshman class includes 67 valedictorians and 60 salutatorians. The class has an average SAT score of 1737 – including the writing portion – and a weighted high school grade point average of 4.17. Fifteen had a perfect score on the critical reading portion of the SAT, while 25 scored perfect on math and six had a perfect score on the writing portion.

Approximately 42 percent of the expected freshmen were in the top 10 percent of their high school class, and 71 percent of them were in the top 20 percent. The class draws its diversity from all 100 of North Carolina’s counties, 38 states and 32 countries.

The College of Engineering is the most popular program for first-year students, with 1,397 expected freshmen planning to enroll there.

NC State’s University Housing personnel spent a busy summer getting the residence halls ready for the new school year. In addition to fresh coats of paint and new furniture, some of the student housing has also seen the introduction of new energy-conservation measures – including energy-efficient LED lighting and low-flow toilets. Find more information on housing at http://www.ncsu.edu/housing/.

This year also sees a significant expansion of Service NC State, which gives students, as well as members of the university and the surrounding community, an opportunity to help feed the hungry around the world. Not only will volunteers assemble 400,000 meals on Saturday, Aug. 23, for the international hunger relief agency Stop Hunger Now, but NC State has taken a leadership role in organizing other area universities for a “University Million Meal Event.” Mike Giancola, director of NC State’s Center for Student Leadership, Ethics & Public Service, says his office worked with Stop Hunger Now to organize students from NC State, Peace College, Meredith College, St. Augustine’s College, East Carolina University and UNC-Chapel Hill to package a total of 1 million meals on the same day. More information on Service NC State is available at http://www.ncsu.edu/csleps/service/servicenc.htm.

The Convocation Festival will be held Monday, Aug. 18, at the RBC Center, featuring keynote speaker Da Chen – author of Sounds of the River, NC State’s summer reading selection. The event, which runs from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., will also include an organization fair, pep rally and welcomes from Oblinger and other campus leaders. Buses to the event will begin loading at 5 p.m. from Bragaw Hall.

On Tuesday, Aug. 19, students will get the opportunity to learn their way around NC State’s state-of-the-art library system at its Get Smarter! open house. The event runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at D.H. Hill Library, and will give students tips on how NC State’s libraries can help students succeed at their studies.

After the first day of classes on Wednesday, Aug. 20, students can unwind with free food, music and giveaways at the Chillin’ and Grillin’ event sponsored by the Inter Residence Council and Interfraternity Council. The event begins at 5 p.m. at Tucker Beach.

The fun continues on Thursday, Aug. 21, when the Back to School Jam will be held at Harris Field. Sponsored by the Black Students Board, the event runs from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Students can celebrate the end of their first week of classes on Friday, Aug. 22, at Friday Fest. Held from 5 to 10 p.m. on Lee Field, between Doak Field and Lee Hall, the event features live music and free food.

NC State’s Parents and Families Services office and campus partners will continue the Parents’ Helpline program. Families with questions or concerns can call a toll-free number (877/568-5733) or e-mail ncsuparents@ncsu.edu for assistance.

For a full listing of Wolfpack Welcome Week activities, visit the Web at http://www.ncsu.edu/for_students/welcome_week/index.html.