Freshmen Arrive at VCU for 2012-13 Academic Year

By Mike Porter

Virginia Commonwealth University’s incoming freshman class will begin to arrive on campus this weekend and move into student dormitories as the university launches its annual “Welcome Week” schedule of activities.

VCU will enroll an estimated 31,600 students this fall. This year’s freshman class is expected to be approximately 3,575 students.

Freshmen will start to move in on Saturday and Sunday, beginning at 9 a.m. each day. Traffic congestion is expected in the areas near VCU’s student dormitories on both Saturday and Sunday and street parking will be blocked in the vicinity of residence halls.

Reuban Rodriguez, Ed.D., associate vice provost and dean of student affairs at VCU, will be available for media interviews about move-in days and the opening of the academic year from 10 a.m until 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 18, in front of Brandt Hall, at the corner of Laurel and Franklin streets.

About 86 percent of VCU’s freshman class is from Virginia, including 36 percent from northern Virginia and approximately 23 percent from the Richmond metro area. Minority students represent 45 percent of the freshman class.

The university has 1,550 international students, representing more than 100 different countries, including particularly large contingents from Saudi Arabia, India and China. VCU will enroll about 2,100 transfer students, which includes about 1,300 students from the Virginia Community College System.