By Erin Wiltgen

chh@heraldsun.com; 918-1035

CHAPEL HILL -- The UNC Class of 2013 is accented with bright, athletically gifted "diamonds" whose diversity continues to expand over previous years, the UNC Board of Trustees learned in a profile report of the 2009 freshman class given at its meeting Thursday.

Stephen Farmer, assistant provost and director of admissions at UNC, presented the trustees with statistics on the class of 2013. This year 23,047 students applied -- more than last school year and a five-year increase of 21 percent.

Of those accepted, 79.7 percent of the students were in the top 10 percent of their high school class and 43.8 percent were among the top 10 students. It's a class full of diamonds, Farmer said.

"They're out there doing what diamonds do," he said "They're sparkling in the sun."

The freshman class also represents more diversity than in past years. The students represent 44 states and 21 countries. Two percent of the incoming class is international, 7 percent are fee-waiver, or low-income, students, and 19 percent are the first generation in their family to attend college.

Contrary to popular belief, Farmer said, such a variety of backgrounds enriches UNC's program.

"Diversity is good for the campus," he said. "It parallels the gains in academic quality."

Besides representing a range of lifestyles, the freshmen also have proven to be an active group, Farmer said. Four of the students already have conducted original research, and 95 percent served in the community to some capacity. A majority of the students played sports in high school -- 72 percent -- and about 2,200 captained a varsity sport.

But it's one thing to look good on paper and quite another to hold a candle in the flesh. Farmer said that UNC professors and students alike have commented about the incredible nature of the freshmen.

One young man told Farmer that he had turned down an engineering program at a private school to study applied sciences at UNC. The school attracted him, of course, but he also said he wanted smart classmates who wouldn't just go home and play video games, Farmer said.

These are the diamonds Farmer mentioned earlier, and, also, the diamonds in the rough. Farmer said that some incoming students are jewels waiting to be polished by peers and professors. The university is willing to take risks on these students because, Farmer said, he believes the admissions office looks beyond just the numbers and the stat sheets to what the student is capable of.

"And when these students pay off, they pay off big," Farmer said.

In a weakening economy, Farmer said, the Board of Admissions believed that many students who were admitted to their home-state flagship schools and UNC would elect to say in-state. This proved not to be the case. Farmer said a student survey revealed that the soft economy helped to highlight UNC's values.

"The survey also told us that price didn't matter as much," he said. "Students were more concerned about quality of school and quality of students."

That doesn't mean, however, that the economy hasn't touched the student body. Another presentation at the trustees meeting outlined the increasing need for merit- and need-based scholarships.

This academic year, the university saw a 17 percent increase in applications for need-based scholarships, up from an 8 percent increase last year. In past years, 33 percent of undergraduates qualified for need-based aid. This year, 36 percent qualified.

To meet this rising need, the university probably will have to reduce the amount of grants given to students, forcing many students to borrow more money.

"It's a sobering report," said Bob Winston, trustees chairman. "Not surprising, but certainly sobering. We'll just have to work through it."

Also at the meeting, the trustees heard a presentation on improvements in technology and transfer, and reports of the University Advancement Committee, the Audit and Finance Committee and the University Affairs Committee.