By  Jenna Press
Assistant City Editor

According to the latest statistics compiled by the university, the incoming fall freshman class is the most selective in Baylor history, as current numbers put the current acceptance rate at approximately 44 percent.

The increased interest in Baylor comes at the same time as record-setting fundraising and some of the school’s most successful years of athletics ever, according to an article on the university’s website.

This year’s freshman class, the class of 2018, was the largest Baylor had ever seen.

Jessica King Gereghty, director of admissions counseling and recruitment, said because the academic caliber of applicants has risen this year, the average test scores of the incoming freshman class is also on track to increase.

“The selectivity has incrementally improved by 1 to 2 percentage points over the last few years,” Jessica King Gereghty, director of admissions counseling and recruitment, wrote in an email.

“Such a dramatic increase is a testament to the quality of the applicants we have to choose from as well as their commitment to coming to Baylor.”

Baylor has grown more selective in the past five years as the number of applications has steadily increased. According to Baylor Institutional Research and Testing, in 2014, the acceptance rate was approximately 54 percent.

Baylor is the second-highest ranked school in the Big 12 and the fifth-highest ranked university in Texas. Baylor has also steadily moved up in U.S. News’ college rankings for the last five years.

Sam Brodsky, an incoming freshman from Austin, said the fact that Baylor is becoming more and more selective, speaks volumes about the quality of the university, and makes him even more proud of the fact he was accepted into the university.

“I chose Baylor because their mission statement exemplifies the life I try to live out. Also, their academic credentials are amazing and it’s an overall great school,” Brodsky said.

Gereghty said that the university has more qualified applicants this year, not more applications in general.

“We have been intentionally growing our applicant pool for the last decade by increasing our recruitment efforts.” Gereghty stated this includes traveling to more high schools across Texas, around the country and globally, hiring more admissions counselors.

Gereghty said while they do look for students who can be academically successful at Baylor first and foremost, they also want to accept students who will make a their mark on the university.

“In addition to academic preparedness, we are also looking for students who appreciate Baylor’s history and mission. We want incoming students who will leave their own mark on Baylor’s history,” Gereghty said.