The Virginia Institute of Marine Science welcomed 27 new students to its Gloucester Point campus when the fall 2010 term began yesterday.

Iris C. Anderson, dean of graduate studies, said recently that enrollment will be "pretty level" compared to some recent years. She said that 82 percent of the students accepted for admission at VIMS will report for classes here.

In all, the applicant pool included 121 requests this year, with 33 students admitted and 27 of those actually being enrolled. The mean grade point average of entering students is 3.49, a VIMS report said, with mean verbal Graduate Record Exam of entering students at 509 and a mean quantitative GRE of 676.

The incoming class includes nine men and 12 females entering the master of science degree program, Anderson said, with two men and four females entering the doctoral program.

"Most students matriculating in the School of Marine Science enter with some extensive experience in marine and environmenta...