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Georgia Southern still a popular choice for students
University recognized in U.S. News & World Report
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    Georgia Southern University continues to be a preferred destination for students from across the United States and around the world, according to U.S. News & World Report.
    This past fall, the university not only set a record for enrollment with 20,574 students from 49 states and 93 countries, but also a record high average SAT score of 1115. For the third consecutive year, U.S. News has recognized Georgia Southern as one of the top national universities that students want to attend.
    This past week, the magazine looked at the “yield rate,” which is determined by the number of first-year students who enrolled after being accepted. For fall 2012, 5,456 students were accepted by Georgia Southern, and 3,542 enrolled. The university’s yield rate was 64.9 percent, topping Yale University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and others. Georgia Southern is the only university from the Southeast in the top 10, according to magazine data cited by the university.
    “I think people are starting to take notice. Georgia Southern is changing, it is growing and more and more students are making it their top choice for their college education,” said Brooks Keel, the president of Georgia Southern. “I really do think people, particularly parents and alumni who may not have visited campus in a long time, are surprised when they see how much has changed. Georgia Southern has undergone an incredible transformation not only physically with numerous new buildings, but academically as well.  When you combine that with living in Statesboro, one of the truly iconic, main-street college towns in this country, it is a really attractive choice for students. I tell parents all the time to just visit. If they do, they and their son or daughter are sold.”
    As more students enroll, Georgia Southern continues to attract some academically strong students. The 2012 freshman class had an average SAT score of 1115 for math and reading -- a record for the university.  
    In explaining the growth in number and academic strength of students, university officials say students can pursue degrees in a wide range of programs ranging from business and information technology to health care and education.  In 2011, the university began offering bachelor’s degrees in civil, mechanical and electrical engineering through its newly established Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering and Information Technology -- one of the nation’s newest engineering schools.
    Georgia Southern also noted that it is a driving factor in the region’s economy. Last year, the university had an economic impact of $846 million supporting more than 8,000 jobs in the region. That investment continues with the construction of a new Biological Sciences building, which will house teaching labs and research space.

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