<p>“The University received 7,176 student applications. Of these applications, the University made offers to 2,159 students and hopes to enroll 940.”</p>
<p>“The expected incoming class has an average high school GPA of 3.71, .1 points higher than last years class. The average SAT score was 1400.”</p>
<p>“In comparison to last year, the number of general applications is down by 400. The admissions rate remains at about 30 percent.”</p>
<p>“One of the reasons the University has received a lower number of applications is the current economy.” </p>
<p>“We have about four percent more financial aid applicants than we did for the class of 2013 and I would say the economy is a contributing actor,” said Andrea Stauffer, director of financial aid.</p>
<p>I would not be surprised if the number of applicants is down because, from what I read on CC, BU is not extremely generous with FA. Some students might think there is no point in applying.</p>
<p>this isnt a number that is ordinarily made public. however, it is published in each schools common data set, with the most recent (available) number being 2521 waitlisted students for the class of 2012 with 875 accepting a spot and 9 ultimately enrolling. </p>
<p>waitlisting so many applicants is not a practice i like, but theres not much i can do about it, either.</p>
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<p>anyway, what is up with the reported 1400 sat average? i assume the data reported was for the accepted student pool (instead of expected matriculants, as reported) but, even so, it seems unreasonably high. after all, the 25-75 range for accepted students last year was 1290-1450, putting the average accepted student near 1370. </p>
<p>so theres either some really great news or really poor reporting. im going to go with really poor reporting on this one.</p>
<p>does anyone think more students will be taken off of the waitlist this year because of the economy?</p>
<p>I originally applied for FA, but because of being waitlisted, I asked to take my name off since I doubt I will get aid anyways if accepted. (though I know you can reapply the following year)…and I was kind of hoping not needing aid would help my cause, though I doubt it’s a deciding factor.</p>
<p>of course, I’m sending a letter of intent, grades, a writing sample, and a rec from my bio teacher since I applied bio as a major. (This is my first year with him, which is why I didn’t send a rec from him in the fall.)</p>
<p>I loveeee Bucknell, and I’ve had a professor (whom I interviewed with) send down comments for me, and I have contacted the pep band recruiter saying that I can play for the band if needed.</p>
<p>I hate this waitlist limbo. If not admitted, I’m going to UMass Amherst honors which I’m also very happy about, but it’s still no Bucknell</p>
<p>only to the extent that the weaker but rebounding economy has created somewhat more uncertainty in yield projections.</p>
<p>simply, the direct impact of the weaker economy has already been built into the accepted student pool. perhaps more students were admitted. or perhaps increased emphasis was placed on admitting students more likely to enroll. whatever the case, an enrollment manager concluded that admitting those 2159 students should result in, say, 910 students choosing to enroll (with a minimal chance of exceeding the targeted 940). the rd expectation is lower than the overall target as over-enrollment causes all kids of messes (housing, foundation seminars, et cetera). under-enrollment just means you have to admit additional students from the waitlist.</p>
<p>the difference from two years ago is that it is a bit harder to predict just how many will enroll and thus a somewhat larger than typical ‘buffer’ needs to be built into the process. an enrollment manager may have been comfortable with an expectation of 920 instead of 910 two years ago, for example.</p>
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<p>now, there are other plausable explanations for higher waitlist usage due to the economy. for example, if maintaining the schools acceptance rate had been deemed a priority in a year like this with a small decline in applications, planning to enroll more students from the waitlist would help achieve that goal. (generally, students are only formally accepted from a waitlist after they have committed to enroll.) or if there is increased uncertainty regarding the relative yields of groups offered different amounts of financial aid, utilizing the waitlist to a greater degree would make sense to balance the financial aid budget.</p>
<p>but generally speaking, no… i wouldnt expect bucknell to take many more students off the waitlist this year due to the economy.</p>