UB Undergraduate Admissions: About UB

Meet UB students who are changing the world.

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Students

It’s not just our faculty who do amazing things. UB students do groundbreaking work of their own, leaving their mark on the university and the world around them.

“Getting out there and getting work experience and being able to apply yourself to a project is so important. To me, when you are doing something like that, it’s not work. It becomes something else, something more, something better.” ~ Evan Hamberger

Whether they are conducting climate research in Greenland, performing street theater in Prague or teaching English to refugees, UB students are active contributors whose collaborative learning experiences resonate far beyond the classroom walls.

At UB, civic engagement is more than a university value; it’s a priority. In a recent exit study of UB seniors, one in four students had worked on a research project with a faculty member outside of class, and three-fourths reported that they had volunteered their time or performed community service during their college career.

As evidenced by its diverse student body, a vibrant study abroad program and its location on an international border, UB is a university with a global reach, which helps UB students develop a truly global perspective. With more than 5,300 international students, UB ranks 17th among all American colleges and universities in international enrollment.

Approximately 11 percent of UB students study abroad—a figure five times the national average—while faculty members have forged working relationships with universities around the world, giving UB students the preparation they need for success in the global marketplace.

For proof of that preparation, look no further than the students who have captured prestigious national fellowships and scholarships in the past few years, such as:

Thawab Shibly, a political science and English major who won a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship, which will sponsor her for 20 hours of teaching a week in Jordan. A volunteer mentor for the Priscilla Project and president of UB's Community Action Corps, she will also continue research on the oral history of refugees living in Jordan.
Karl Barber, a political science and English major who received a Fulbright grant to study neuroscience at McGill University, in Montreal. He will continue his research interests as a doctoral student in molecular biology at Yale University.
Sarah Boerschig, a history and Asian studies major who is the first UB student ever to win the David L. Boren Scholarship from the National Security Education Program, which sends scholars to countries it considers critical to U.S. security. Sarah will spend her next school year studying at Kanazawa University in Japan and hopes to one day work in the State Department helping to solve international conflicts.
Daniel Salem, a major in chemical engineering who was awarded a 2012 Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship. Interested in exploring energy storage and energy conservation, he is involved in research studying various aspects of lithium-air battery systems.
Esther Buckwalter, an environmental engineering major who was chosen to receive a 2012 Morris K. Udall Scholarship. A grass roots activist for a host of environmental and sustainability issues, she is devoted to improving worldwide access to safe drinking water.

Each year, UB highlights its talented students and outstanding research at its Celebration of Academic Excellence.

Fall 2012 Enrolled Freshmen

Coming from more than 29 states and 55 countries, our incoming class of students is one of our most academically talented yet! Forty-eight percent of accepted students scored 1200 or higher on the SAT (critical reading and math), and 35 percent ranked in the top 10 percent of their high school class. These students, who have completed rigorous high school coursework, including Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses, have also demonstrated a high level of engagement with the world around them through their academic and extracurricular pursuits. Learn more about UB’s Freshman Admission Criteria.