We love it when we hit milestones and get to brag about our alma mater to good friends — and, let’s face it, complete strangers, too. Your newest bit of UR news is that we’ve received the highest number of applications for the highly coveted 800 spots in the incoming class. UR’s reputation continues to rise, and we’re not the only ones to notice.

Rebecca Buffington, senior associate director of admission, tells us that the 18 percent increase can be largely attributed to our new early action application plan, which gives students a non-binding alternative to early decision. We can also say it’s because of our sensational growth as a university and our compelling value proposition. As a result, last year’s incoming class was one of the most academically prepared and the most diverse in history. We cannot wait to meet the class of 2022.

“In addition to the quantity of applications, there are more qualified applicants, as measured by quality of courses taken, GPA, standardized test scores and extracurricular activities,” Buffington said.

We are well-positioned to continue the trend of welcoming high achieving, academically well-rounded students. We’re bursting with pride over here and can’t wait to meet the newest Spiders!