Colleges experience record-high applications

Brian Farkas News Editor

This April, high school seniors around the country will conclude their thorny struggle with the college admissions process. 2008 and 2009 will mark the demographic peak of applications to colleges and universities, meaning that Vassar and many of its peer institutions have received record numbers of applications and, in turn, rejected a record numbers of students.

“We received a record number of applications this year, with nearly 1,000 more than a year ago for a 15 percent increase,” said Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid David Borus. Vassar admitted just 1,758 of the 7,361 applicants, an admission rate of 23.9 percent, down from 28.6 percent last year. This year’s admission rate is the lowest in the College’s history.

According to Borus, admitted students have increasingly excellent credentials. “Average GPAs of those who were admitted remain very high, between an A and an A-minus,” said Borus.

Their average critical reading and math SAT scores rose about seven points as well, and approximately 80 percent of those with class ranks were in the top 10 percent of their high school classes. Admitted students come from 49 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and 48 foreign countries.

The Office of Admissions is looking to admit about 640 students this year.

“We are aiming for a slightly smaller class this year, both because of last year’s high yield, which resulted in the Class of 2011 being about 20 students larger than expected, and because of Davison House being out of service next year for renovations,” explained Borus.

Vassar is far from alone in its rising numbers of applications and declining numbers of accepted students. Middlebury College received 7,823 applications and admitted only 1,400 students—18 percent, which is down from 23 percent last year. Harvard University broke all records by far, accepting just 7.1 percent of applicants, while Yale University accepted 8.3 percent, and Williams College accepted 16.3.

Many analysts have suggested that Harvard and Princeton’s elimination of their early decision programs could also have affected the unprecedented number of applicants at smaller liberal arts colleges, as well as the number of students who will accept their offers of admission.

Demographic trend lines project that next year will see a peak in 18-year-old high school seniors in the United States. About 2.9 million students will graduate from high school, a number that has steadily climbed over the past 15 years.

The demographic changes also include large geographic and socio-economic variations. Many anticipate a decline in affluent high school graduates, and an increase in lower- and middle-class students. Colleges and universities, in response, have increased financial aid spending.

Notably, Harvard and Yale have announced significant increases for financial aid to families with incomes up to $180,000 and $200,000, respectively.

Last May, Vassar announced a return to need-blind admissions, and in year, the College will eliminate loans for students with family incomes under $60,000.

Those students who have been admitted to the Class of 2012 must reply to the Office of Admissions by May 1 to accept or decline their spot.