You can’t say times don’t change: the first graduating class at Urban in 1969 had 20 students. But this fall, there are 103 incoming freshman in the class of 2015, making it the largest class in Urban’s history.

In addition to more freshmen than Urban has ever seen, the class of 2015 is unique in several other ways.

For one thing, it is dominated by girls, with 57 girls and only 46 boys.

Also, students are coming to Urban from 36 different middle schools; more students are coming from the East Bay and South Bay compared with past years, and Urban will welcome eight students from the first graduating class of the San Francisco Friends School.

“We (the admissions committee) want to build our jazz program,” said Bobby Ramos, Urban’s admissions director. Also, “we always have to build our visual arts program, and our athletic program. In order to do that, we need to bring in both established talent out there, but also folks that we think are going to pick those talents up here, so while (there are) no quotas, were always looking for that talent.”

Sophie Weir, an incoming freshman from Claire Lilienthal Elementary School, plans to add her talents to school life.

“At Urban, I plan on contributing in as many ways as I can,” she said, “with sports teams, helping out my peers and teachers, in theater productions, and just giving back to the community.”

Upperclassmen say that there will be both pros and cons to a bigger incoming freshman class.

“I’m glad that Urban’s expanding,” said Cali Slepin (‘12).

“It’s better socially for the kids but it’s going to be really annoying for everyone else.

“(It will be) loud, annoying, jumpy, gross (freshmen), clogging the hallways.”