<p>If last year's numbers mirror this year's, then about 1,900 students will need to be accepted to fill about 345 more seats to supplement the 255 already in through ED. What happens if 445 of those 1,900 students decide to matriculate to Lafayette? What would happen if 700 of those accetped said "yes" to Lafayette? It sounds like tricky business, and I'm sure that matriculation percentages do not jump that significantly, but it does not seem outside the realm of possibility for a few extra hundred to matriculate. </p>
<p>What is the contingency plan? Just curious.</p>
<p>All colleges are aware of the dangers of over enrollment. The biggest issue is, of course, with on-campus housing. If an unexpectedly high number of admitted students were to enroll, we'd be forced to make a few doubles into triples until additional housing could be built.</p>
<p>Thankfully, admissions numbers are more predictable than you might imagine. Also, admissions officers tend to err on the side of caution when deciding on how many students to admit, so more often than not, they must simply fall back on wait list candidates.</p>
<p>Was it Princeton that had a huge issue with over enrollment for the Class of 1999? If I remember correctly, they were forced to set up mobile homes until new dorms could be built. After this fiasco, they made the switch from EA to ED, which makes it much easier for admissions people to maintain a level of control in the process.</p>
<p>To answer your question, if we were to face such a situation, we'd deal with it swiftly (as would most colleges). Everyone would have a place to live eventually, which is the biggest issue. In terms of class sizes, there would be minimal impact. Some class capacities might have to be adjusted, but that's ultimately not a huge deal.</p>