The Class of 2017 is not only a highly accomplished and diverse group of students, but also the highest-scoring class of Terriers ever admitted. Entering students in our degree-granting programs rank in the top 10 percent of their high school class, with an average GPA of 3.6, and posted an average SAT score of 1947.

“This is the strongest class in BU’s history,” says Kelly Walter, associate vice president and executive director of admissions. “Yes, we seem to say this every year, but our incoming freshmen just keep getting stronger and stronger.”

They’ve also volunteered in far-flung places like a women’s shelter in Thailand, created an iPhone app, climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, interned at Boeing Aerospace and CNN in Hong Kong, and in the case of one student, mastered six languages.

They touched down in Boston from 46 states, plus Washington, DC, Puerto Rico, and Guam. And they are more ethnically and racially diverse. The class is 5.1 percent African American, 9.8 percent Hispanic, and 14.5 percent Asian American.

• Of the record-setting 52,705 applicants, 37 percent were admitted, making it the most competitive class in BU history (last year’s percentage was 46 percent).
• Just over one-fifth of the class comes from foreign countries, another record, says Walter. The top feeder nations are China, India, South Korea, Canada, and Taiwan.
• Students representing 64 foreign countries flocked to Commonwealth Avenue, including residents of countries not represented last year: Iceland, Azerbaijan, Serbia, and Moldova.