<p>ED Applicants Receive News
An 8 Percent Increase in Early Applicants, Acceptances Decrease
By Daniella Zalcman
Columbia Spectator</p>
<p>A small DHL truck pulled onto College Walk at 4:15 p.m. on Thursday to load acceptance packages for the first 593 members of Columbia's class of 2011. Less than an hour later, students all over the world were able to end more than a month of suspenseful waiting when identical letters were delivered to their e-mail inboxes.</p>
<p>"It astounds me every year how wonderful the students applying to Columbia are," said Executive Director of Undergraduate Admissions Jessica Marinaccio. "This year's early decision class is no exception. They bring with them an amazing diversity of experiences, ideas, backgrounds, and opinions. The class of 2011 is off to an incredible start."</p>
<p>A record total of 2,428 students applied to Columbia College and the School of Engineering and Applied Science under Columbia's early decision program this year-an 8 percent increase over last year's figures. Of this year's early decision applicants, 24.4 percent were admitted, down from 26 percent in 2005.</p>
<p>"I'm thrilled, mixed with some lingering disbelief," said Phoenix Country Day School senior Katie Lupica, CC '11. "I called my parents in so they could be there when I opened it [the e-mail]. But of course Gmail shows the first line of any e-mail next to the subject in the inbox, so I kind of knew when I saw 'Congratulations.' Then I screamed and jumped around and such."</p>
<p>"It hasn't sunk in yet," said Princeton Day School senior Ben Turndorf, CC '11. "It makes me feel pretty good. I'm glad I got in."</p>