Total Applications Growth/Decline, class of 2017

Applying to College
241

<p>catch-up</p>

<p>Skidmore +42.7% (8,143)
Northern Kentucky >+30% (no app count)
Clark +29.0% (5,545)
Ohio State +25.6% (35,300)
Case Western +25% (18,226)
UChicago +20% (30,369)
Boston U +19.4% (52,532)
UCSC +16.9% (38,507)
UC Merced +16.6% (14,966)
Ohio U +15.8% (20,236)
U Washington +15.7% (30,073)
St Lawrence +14.4% (3,080)
Brandeis +14.2% (9,370)
UCSB +13.9% (62,402)
UC Riverside +13.2% (33,809)
UC Davis +13.1% (55,877)
Kalamazoo +13% (>2,400)
Tufts +12.4% (18,410)
WPI +12.0% (8,498)
UC Irvine +11.3% (60,619)
NYU +11.2% (48,606) [all campuses including Shanghai & Abu Dhabi]
Alma +11.1% (1,820)
UCLA +10.8% (80,472)
UCSD +10.8% (67,403)
Babson +10.3% (6,080)
Pepperdine +10% (10,443)
UC Berkeley +9.7% (67,658)
Emerson +9.7% (7,756)
Cal Poly, SLO +9.4% (40,404)
Vanderbilt +9.2% (30,950+)
Claremont McKenna +8.9% (5,509)
Lehigh +8.7% (12,548)
Rochester +8.2% (17,146)
U Texas >+7.3% (>38,000)
Colgate +7.0% (8,346)
Northeastern +7.0 (47,322)
UVa +6.7% (29,005)
Miami U +6.3% (21,593)
San Diego State is +6.0% (53,760)
St Andrews +6% (14,355)
RPI +~6% (16,112)
Stanford +5.9% (38,800)
Bates +5.9% (5,194)
Trinity +5.7% (7,500)
NC State +5.5% (calc’d to be >21,384, count incomplete)
Columbia +5.1% (33,460)
Fordham +5.0% (35,229)
MIT +~4.9% (almost 18,989)
Bowdoin +4.7% (7,029)
Wesleyan +4.5% (10,969)
U North Carolina +4.0% (30,689)
U Southern Cal +3.7% (47,800)
Virginia +3.5% (~29,250)
SUNY Binghamton +3.4% (29,089)
Barnard +3.3% (5,609)
Bryn Mawr >+2.8% (2,700+)
Colby +2.8% (5,390)
Yale +2.8% (29,790)
Vermont +2.7% (22,277)
Middlebury +2.6% (9,075)
William & Mary +2.5% (14,000)
Union +2.5% (5,643)
Olin +2.4% (800)
CU Boulder +2.3% (22,287)
Northwestern +2.2% (32,766)
Harvard +2.1% (35,022)
Rhode Island <+1.76% (“close to” 21,000)
Rice +1.4% (15,345)
Smith +1.4% (4,402)
Emory +0.91% (17,652)
George Washington +0.87% (21,946)
Juilliard +0.82% (2,338)
JHU +0.52% (20,608)
Duke +0.4% (31,752)
Swarthmore +0.24% (6,632)
Brown +0.22% (28,733)
Villanova +0.21% (14,933)
Scripps +0.13% (2,376)
Penn +0.00% (31,219)
Caltech -0.02% (5,536)
Georgetown -0.12% (20,025)
Grinnell -0.57% (4,528)
Princeton -0.59% (26,505)
Holy Cross -1.3% (7,079)
Harvey Mudd -1.6% (3,537)
Hamilton -1.8% (5,017)
Elon -2.5% (9,791)
Pitzer -2.9% (4,103)
Dartmouth -3.0% (22,416)
Williams -3.3% (6,836)
Bucknell -3.6% (7,834)
Vassar -3.9% (7,600)
Pomona ~-4.8% (~7,100)
Amherst -7.7% (7,908)
Penn State ~-9% (~43,272, calculated)
Boston College -26% (~25,000)</p>

242

<p>

</p>

<p>While some parts of the above do ring true and espouse the uneducated views about the growing number of applications versus the number of applicants, there is zero foundation to the last sentence. It is nothing but idle speculation. </p>

<p>And, fwiw, the theory of fewer applicants at selective school does not seem to apply to the … restrictive early applications, or does it? </p>

<p>Go figure!</p>

243

<p>

</p>

<p>Let’s not fall into hyperboles. The application does not have to be a miserable process at all. For some, it might be expensive, but hardly miserable. It does, however, require a modicum of effort, and that is something that bothers many. </p>

<p>I’d venture to say that one of the reasons to avoid the process is a result of a lax attitude and a habit by teenagers to follow the path of least resistance. People simply get winded running around the base of the mountain while they could reach to the top walking slowly … had they started a bit earlier. </p>

<p>And the other, which happens to be a pet peeve of mine, comes to the incredible lack of adequate quidance among the adults who are supposed to guide the same teenagers.</p>

<p>As an example, over Christmas, I got incredibly frustrated with some family members who have HS juniors. They all complained about how little time there was and that there was no time to prepare for the SAT or APs. The reasons? There was football, some clubs, and other ECs plus the GC “directions” to focus primarily on the almighty class rank and GPA. The objective was to dedicate the summer to prepare for the October SAT, and write all the essays around Thanksgiving.</p>

<p>Told them that NONE of their reasons amounted to much, and that they were all excuses, and that they would be … sorry if they did not complete everything before September of the senior year. Will they listen? Nope, but they will join the tribes who like to complain. It is just insane!</p>

244

<p>Wellesley applications increased by 5%, total applications were 4794. </p>

<p>[Admission</a> office receives record number of applicants for class of 2017 - Wellesley News - Wellesley College](<a href=“PeperHelp Discount Code – Best Solution for Your Research Paper”>PeperHelp Discount Code – Best Solution for Your Research Paper)</p>

245

<p>Last year Wellesley received 4546, so a 5.46% increase, if I did the math right.</p>

<p>[College</a> receives an all-time high number of applications - News - Wellesley News - Wellesley College](<a href=“PeperHelp Discount Code – Best Solution for Your Research Paper”>PeperHelp Discount Code – Best Solution for Your Research Paper)</p>

246

<p>revision: Colgate +7.4% (calc ~8,375)
[Colgate</a> University News](<a href=“http://news.colgate.edu/2013/03/colgate-sends-acceptance-letters-to-class-of-2017.html]Colgate”>Colgate sends acceptance letters to Class of 2017 | Colgate University)
source for last year (7,798): <a href=“http://www.colgate.edu/admission-financial-aid/class-of-2016-profile[/url]”>http://www.colgate.edu/admission-financial-aid/class-of-2016-profile&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>More should start rolling out now.</p>

247

<p>This Boston Globe story of 3/2/13 reports area schools’ app numbers and % increases. Some schools are new to this thread’s list & of those already reported, most stats are the same or close to those reported on this thread, but a few are at variance like Brandeis. I will straighten out later, but here are the numbers from the article’s summary table in the meantime:
[Applications</a> rise at Harvard, MIT, and BU, but BC celebrates its decline - Metro - The Boston Globe](<a href=“BC celebrates its decline in applications - The Boston Globe”>BC celebrates its decline in applications - The Boston Globe)</p>

<p>BU +20% (52,669) [but 52,691 in article text]
UMass Boston +14.7% (8,603)
Brandeis +13% (9,455)
Tufts +12% (18,417)
UMass Lowell +11% (7,328)
Babson +10% (6,080)
Emerson +9.6% (8,180)
Northeastern +7% (47,321)
MIT +5% (18,989)
UMass Amherst +4.8% (36,000)
Harvard +2% (35,022)
BC -26.6% (25,000)</p>

248

<p>Harvard adds one more to its tally…now 35,023…in their latest posting:
[Admissions</a>, beyond a single test | Harvard Gazette](<a href=“http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2013/03/admissions-beyond-a-single-test/]Admissions”>Admissions, beyond a single test – Harvard Gazette)</p>

249

<p>update: Vanderbilt +9.5% (31,033)
[Class</a> of 2017 Regular Decisions Mailed Today | The Vandy Admissions Blog | Vanderbilt University](<a href=“http://admissions.vanderbilt.edu/vandybloggers/2013/03/class-of-2017-regular-decisions-mailed-today/]Class”>Class of 2017 Regular Decisions Mailed Today | The Vandy Admissions Blog | Vanderbilt University)</p>

<p>class of 16 apps source: <a href=“https://virg.vanderbilt.edu/virgweb/CDSC.aspx?year=2012[/url]”>https://virg.vanderbilt.edu/virgweb/CDSC.aspx?year=2012&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

250

<p>Northwestern found a handfull more, now 32,772 (up 6)
[NU</a> sends out acceptance letters for Class of 2017 | North by Northwestern](<a href=“http://northbynorthwestern.com/story/nu-sends-out-acceptance-letters-for-class-of-2017/]NU”>http://northbynorthwestern.com/story/nu-sends-out-acceptance-letters-for-class-of-2017/)</p>

251

<p>BU takes a major haircut on their apps number to 51,197 (from 52,669 originally reported)…guess they overcounted a bit in their excitement. By my guesstimate (which I will research more deeply later), that should take their apps growth to 16% or 17%, not the 20% quoted in the article.
[Class</a> of 2017 accepts 36 percent of applicants | The Daily Free Press](<a href=“http://dailyfreepress.com/2013/03/27/class-of-2017-accepts-36-percent-of-applicants/]Class”>Class of 2017 accepts 36 percent of applicants – The Daily Free Press)</p>

252

<p>Duke revises upward a couple dozen to 31,785.
[Duke</a> accepts 2,897 applicants for the Class of 2017 | The Chronicle](<a href=“http://www.dukechronicle.com/articles/2013/03/27/duke-accepts-2897-applicants-class-2017]Duke”>http://www.dukechronicle.com/articles/2013/03/27/duke-accepts-2897-applicants-class-2017)</p>

253

<p>^^
“Haircut?” What kind of phrasing is that?..</p>

254

<p>Could it be an ode to Rossini?</p>

<p>[Barber</a> of Seville - YouTube](<a href=“Barber of Seville - YouTube”>Barber of Seville - YouTube)</p>

<p>Or simply a pretty standard expression for a downward change. </p>

<p>Your pick.</p>

255

<p>hah…yes, xiggi, that’s it. Thank you.</p>

<p>I meant the “trimming excess” part of this definition:
[What</a> is haircut? definition and meaning<a href=“investments%20are%20not%20exactly%20my%20world%20but%20the%20term%20is%20commonly%20used%20by%20my%20generation”>/url</a></p>

<p>but until I just looked I had no idea this is what you might be thinking:
[url=&lt;a href=“http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=haircut]Urban”&gt;Urban Dictionary: haircut]Urban</a> Dictionary: haircut](<a href=“http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/haircut.html]What”>http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/haircut.html)</p>

<p>ps…please tell any friends you might have over at the Cornell Sun to publish Cornell’s results!</p>

256

<p>updates</p>

<p>Swarthmore trims a few (but somehow their % increase goes up [a hair])…+0.38% (6,614)
[The</a> Phoenix | Admissions Hopes for Larger Yield for 2017](<a href=“Admissions Hopes for Larger Yield for 2017 - The Phoenix”>Admissions Hopes for Larger Yield for 2017 - The Phoenix)</p>

<p>USC- nothing solid to base apps growth, but FYI on some class of '17 admit stats:
[And</a> They?re Off! · Undergraduate Admission Blog](<a href=“http://admissionblog.usc.edu/2013/03/26/and-theyre-off/]And”>http://admissionblog.usc.edu/2013/03/26/and-theyre-off/)</p>

<p>new
Ithaca +13.2% (15,641)
[Freshmen</a> applications hit record high for 2013-14 | The Ithacan](<a href=“http://theithacan.org/31499]Freshmen”>http://theithacan.org/31499)</p>

257

<p>[Cornell</a> Releases Class of 2017 Regular Decision Results | The Cornell Daily Sun](<a href=“http://cornellsun.com/section/news/content/2013/03/28/cornell-releases-class-2017-regular-decision-results]Cornell”>http://cornellsun.com/section/news/content/2013/03/28/cornell-releases-class-2017-regular-decision-results)</p>

<p>5.8% increase.</p>

258

<p>Columbia up to 33,531
[CC</a>, SEAS see record-low admit rate for class of 2017](<a href=“http://www.columbiaspectator.com/2013/03/28/cc-seas-see-record-low-admit-rate-class-2017]CC”>http://www.columbiaspectator.com/2013/03/28/cc-seas-see-record-low-admit-rate-class-2017)</p>

<p>Princeton adjusted slightly to 26,498
<a href=“Princeton University offers admission to 7.29 percent of applicants”>Princeton University offers admission to 7.29 percent of applicants;

259

<p>Brown ups its apps number to 28,919
[U&lt;/a&gt;. accepts second-lowest percentage of applicants ever ? Brown Daily Herald](<a href=“http://www.browndailyherald.com/2013/03/28/u-accepts-second-lowest-percentage-of-applicants-ever/]U”>http://www.browndailyherald.com/2013/03/28/u-accepts-second-lowest-percentage-of-applicants-ever/)</p>

<p>JHU slight change to 20,613
[Decisions</a> for Johns Hopkins Class of 2017 released | Hub](<a href=“http://hub.jhu.edu/2013/03/28/admissions-decisions-released]Decisions”>Decisions for Johns Hopkins Class of 2017 released | Hub)</p>

260

<p>Was about to send the Wellesley numbers but I see they are already in. Am hoping this will be my daughter’s choice. </p>

<p>Thanks for the citations, Papa Chicken, so interesting. </p>

<p>Xiggi – please forgive me, but I don’t think it’s hyperbole. If your family members were more interested in sporting events than college applications last fall, I can understand your frustration. But my personal experience of getting a child out into the world through this process is very different. My daughter is an IB student in a public magnet school in a small western city, and the requirements of her program in her senior year are extreme. She works day and night as do the other bright kids in her program, many of whom are low income. </p>

<p>Thus it was difficult to focus her on this extraordinarily complex world of college applications. It’s really not for the young (or culturally uninformed), especially the young adolescent for whom it may be more about identity than about intensive, hard-headed research and analysis of the possibilities, and self-marketing. In my daughter’s case, few of her fellow students had even heard of the colleges, esp. of the private LAC’s, at which she had a chance of acceptance and financial support. So the research was arduous. And she was absolutely vulnerable to identity-based college marketing, wasting what little time she had.</p>

<p>The Common App is a good idea, but is not geared toward the lowest common technological denominator – if your computer is even a little old, it can have constant glitches. The supplements are of varying quality. The best questions are “why this college” as they (should) force good research, but many questions/essay prompts seem to duplicate the Common App essay and seemed geared more toward a kind of hazing to determine interest. The financial aid process is truly byzantine, with even more variation and tech glitches.</p>

<p>I could rant on. The opacity of admissions as they try to get the highest number of applicants possible for the sake of ranking; the capricious results, which must have something to do with admissions committees being overwhelmed by the numbers of applicants; etc. etc. It’s not that I blame admissions committees – they are caught in a system that is almost as beyond them as it is beyond my daughter. But as a whole this formidable, inefficient system is keeping a lot of bright kids at bay – why even try to figure it out?</p>

<p>Why do I care? It’s not because I think these lower-income kids who don’t have the time, cultural information, or money won’t get a great education at our local public university – I teach there, rejoice in my most talented students and in sending them on to excellent post-graduate institutions. It’s because the complexity of this process is contributing to the division of our country, not only by income but by region. Many of my public university students have hardly been outside of my state, have little sense of national community (despite claims of great patriotism), while a frantic middle class and wealthy elite pour money into gaming this system and thereby populate a fashionable upper tier of higher education without ever finding out how my students live.</p>

<p>(Sorry for going on so long, Papa Chicken, got carried away and won’t do it again!)</p>