<p>Has there been a decrease in application rates at Duke in the past couple years? If so, why?</p>
<p>No, it actually went up (slightly?) and I think its because the population is getting bigger. </p>
<p>Any decrease should probably be attributed to CC-stereotype posters, the national media, and the Durham DA office - but I don’t really think there was a decrease.</p>
<p>2002 = 15,860 applicants
2003 = 16,656 applicants (+5.0%)
2004 = 16,714 applicants (+0.3%)
2005 = 18,062 applicants (+8.1%)
2006 = 19,282 applicants (+6.7%)
2007 = 19,206 applicants (-0.4%)
2008 = 20,250 applicants (+5.4%; most in history)</p>
<p>So, no, there isn’t a usual decrease in application numbers. 5 of the last six years have seen increases. The small decrease in 2007 might be attributable to the negative press due to the LAX case, but who knows.</p>
<p>The HS class population does not increase 4-6% a year; it deals mainly with people learning more about the college process and applying to more schools per person per year. Back then people applied to 3 or 4 schools but now-a-days its more like 13 or 14. That’s why the admissions processes to top schools are getting harder and harder because they have to deal with not only more applicants but the possibility that people are going to go elsewhere more often.</p>
<p>Sorry to answer your question, Duke is doing fine.</p>
<p>Oh also the class of 2012 nation wide is the largest applicant pool in history for US colleges as well and it should go down next year. (mini baby boom peaked from the late 80’s early 90’s)</p>
<p>Just to echo SirGecko (wow, that rhymes!):</p>
<p>"Colleges and universities are anxiously taking steps to address a projected drop in the number of high school graduates in much of the nation starting next year and a dramatic change in the racial and ethnic makeup of the student population, a phenomenon expected to transform the country’s higher education landscape, educators and analysts said. After years of being overwhelmed with applicants, higher education institutions will over the next decade recruit from a pool of public high school graduates that will experience:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>A projected national decline of roughly 10 percent or more in non-Hispanic white students, the population that traditionally is most likely to attend four-year colleges.</p></li>
<li><p>A double-digit rise in the proportion of minority students – especially Hispanics – who traditionally are less likely to attend college and to obtain loans to fund education.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Despite those obstacles, minority enrollment at undergraduate schools is expected to rise steadily, from 30 percent in 2004 to about 37 percent in 2015, some analysts project. "</p>
<p>[Population</a> Shift Sends Universities Scrambling - washingtonpost.com](<a href=“http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/09/AR2008030902065.html]Population”>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/09/AR2008030902065.html)</p>
<p>Ah, that’s reassuring. Thanks for the replies. I guess I just got caught up in the media and their views on Durham and the lacrosse incident.</p>
<p>cosine45 - and you should be aware that the Class of 2011 which had the negative 0.4% drop was the most diverse class ever:</p>
<p>[Duke’s</a> Class of 2011 Will Be Its Most Selective, Diverse – And Larger Than Expected](<a href=“http://news.duke.edu/2007/06/admissions.html]Duke’s”>http://news.duke.edu/2007/06/admissions.html)</p>
<p>“A record 44 percent of the incoming class represents students of color, including 500 Asian students, 105 Hispanic students and 156 African-American students,” Guttentag wrote.</p>
<p>From 2010 to 2012, applications increased by more than 25,000 at the eight Ivy League schools and by 5,000 at MIT/Stanford. </p>
<p>Duke increased by about 1,000 in the same period. Draw your own conclusions!</p>
<p>xiggi… not that i don’t believe you, of course, but do u have a source?</p>
<p>[Ivy</a> League Admission Statistics for Class of 2012 - Hernandez College Consulting - Ivy league admission - Ivy league admissions - Ivy league consulting, consultants, consultant - college consulting - college consultants - college consultant](<a href=“http://www.hernandezcollegeconsulting.com/resources/early2008statistics.html]Ivy”>http://www.hernandezcollegeconsulting.com/resources/early2008statistics.html)</p>
<p>“From 2010 to 2012, applications increased by more than 25,000 at the eight Ivy League schools and by 5,000 at MIT/Stanford”</p>
<p>Aren’t 2010 through 2012 in the future? </p>
<p>Acceptance rates at most schools (Duke included) have decreased slightly, but nothing has changed significantly in the past 5 years.</p>
<p>classes of 2010 and 2012…</p>