<p>"The Office of Undergraduate Admissions will accept the Common Application starting in fall 2011.</p>
<p>“Columbia will join the more than 400 member institutions accepting The Common Application for admission, using it as our exclusive application for first-year and transfer applicants,” Dean of Undergraduate Admissions Jessica Marinaccio wrote in a statement. “With our recent financial aid initiatives, we offer one of the most generous need-based financial aid programs in the country and believe The Common Application will make applying to Columbia more accessible to students from every background.”</p>
<p>Marinaccio added that the office hopes the Common Application will make the college application process “less stressful” for students and teachers.</p>
<p>She noted that the University has received 26,178 applications to the Class of 2014, the largest applicant pool in history for Columbia College and the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science.</p>
<p>At Columbia College, 2,495 applied early decision, while 488 applied early to SEAS. A total of 19,252 applied regular decision to CC, with 3,943 applying regular to SEAS."</p>
<p>“I remain impressed by the caliber of each student admitted to the class of 2013,” Jessica Marinaccio, dean of admissions, said in a statement.
The number of applications received this year reached a record high of 25,428, an increase of 13 percent from last year’s 22,584-student applicant pool. SEAS received 4,154 applications for admission, up 20 percent from last year’s 3,465. The College received 21,274 applications, an 11 percent increase from last year’s 19,117. Administrators have suggested that the increase in applications during a financial crisis can be attributed to last year’s financial aid enhancements.</p>