Another record for applications

Colleges and Universities A-Z Swarthmore College
1

<p>From today's Phoenix:</p>

<p><a href="http://phoenix.swarthmore.edu/2007-02-08/news/16813%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://phoenix.swarthmore.edu/2007-02-08/news/16813&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>
[quote]
Class of 2011 most selective in history thus far
BY KEVIN BENTLEY</p>

<p>Swarthmore’s admissions office is once again in the midst of notifying early decision applicants, and the office is especially busy this year. Admissions at the college, which is already known as an elite liberal arts college with a low acceptance rate and high selectivity, has seen a surge in the number of applicants. The office has received 5,186 applications for the Class of 2011, which is five percent more than last year and 24 percent more than two years ago. Jim Bock, Dean of Admissions, said, “We’re up in almost every category: international, women, men, minorities.” </p>

<p>This year’s admissions process is further complicated by the college’s plan to accept a small freshman class for the Class of 2011 in order to maintain its small-school mentality. Even though the admissions office is unable to officially comment on the acceptance rate for the incoming freshman class until June, it is looking to accept a class of 365 first-year students and eight transfer students.

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<p>The college enrolled 370 this past fall and 380 the fall before that. My rough calculations make it look like the overall acceptance rate should be 17% to 18% this year.</p>

<p>I'm really surprised. I expected the apps to be level or even drop slightly after last year's crazy increase. Must have been all those well spoken Swatties on the Jim Leher News Hour election night.</p>

2

<p>That's mildly depressing.</p>

3

<p>Sorry. Don't let it depress you. My theory is that acceptance rate doesn't mean much. They accept the people they would accept, anyway.</p>

4

<p>This is true; I really appreciate (long time lurker!) your knowledge of Swarthmore. They should probably pay you.</p>

5

<p>
[quote]
They should probably pay you

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</p>

<p>I'm afraid the cash flow is decidedly in the other direction!</p>

<p>BTW, the stuff on housing in the article was a little misleading. They are tight for housing this semester because instead of the normal split of 75 students abroad in the fall and 75 in the spring, they had 108 students returning from fall study abroad and only something like 50 going away for the spring. So, they had to use some rooms they would prefer not to use...like Mary Lyon basement and the lounges in Dana and Hollowell.</p>

<p>They are starting construction of the second phase of New Dorm, which will give them 75 more beds. I think the plan is to permanently retire the ML basement, the Danawell lounges, and the four Lodges.</p>

6

<p>The President of Swarthmore routinely reminds incoming freshmen that 90% of them were in the top ten percent of their classes. That means its downhill from there for about 81% of them.</p>