<p>The Office of Admissions released its Class of 2009 admissions decisions on March 30. </p>
<p>This year's applicant pool encompassed 15,525 students from 49 U.S. states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico and 65 countries. Last year, University admissions officers accepted applications from 14,729 students across the country. </p>
<p>Twenty-seven percent of those who applied were accepted, a figure consistent with the 27 percent accepted for the Class of 2008. </p>
<p>Thirty-six percent of the total class size of approximately 1,300 was accepted through the University's binding Early Decision plan - a figure lower than the 42 percent of Early Decision students accepted for the Class of 2008. </p>
<p>In addition to the 458 students accepted under the Early Decision plan, 3,903 were accepted through the Regular Decision plan.</p>
<p>"The newly accepted class reflects Tufts' traditional commitment to diversity on many fronts," Dean of Undergraduate Admissions Lee Coffin said in a press release. The diversity of the Class of 2009 is apparent in the admissions figures, as they represent students of African American, Asian American, Latino and Native American descent. Additionally, 14 percent of the accepted students for the Class of 2009 are foreign citizens, Americans living abroad or foreign-born permanent residents of the United States.</p>
<p>According to Coffin, Tufts admissions officers visited hundreds of high schools across the United States, Canada, Europe, Latin America and Asia.</p>
<p>This recent crop of accepted students to the Hill also possesses the strongest academic record to date. Eighty-five percent of the students reporting a class rank come from the top 10 percent of their graduating class. </p>
<p>Average SAT scores of admitted students have also reached record highs. According to the University's profile for the admitted students for the Class of 2009, the mean verbal score is 710 and the mean math score is 718. The accepted applicants to the School of Engineering have an average math score of 744.</p>
<p>By contrast, the Class of 2008 reported 81 percent of students from the top 10 percent of their class, with a mean verbal SAT score of 703 and a mean math SAT score of 713. </p>
<p>"Both testing means [for the Class of 2009] are record highs for Tufts, and the SAT composite score of 1428 represents a 12-point increase over last year's all-time high," Coffin said. </p>
<p>Coffin said that the higher scores reflected in the profile mark a general admissions trend evinced from class to class. </p>
<p>"Every admissions office, at Tufts and elsewhere, hopes to improve the admissions profile on each successive class," Coffin said. "In our case, the steady improvement reflects the rising reputation of the University on a national level, as well as the success of our recruitment and selection practices during the past several years." </p>
<p>Similarly, Coffin says that the school is "beginning to see similar growth among students with interests in civic engagement and public policy." </p>
<p>Although those students accepted into the Class of 2009 who will choose to enroll will not arrive on the Hill until the fall, some of their fellow schoolmates have said that they are already excited to welcome them to campus. </p>
<p>"It's exciting to find out that the incoming class is so well qualified," freshman Rachel Fowle said. "Tufts is a great school and by the looks of the figures, the incoming class will definitely offer something new to the campus."</p>
<p>Though the final profile for the incoming Class of 2009 cannot be determined until later next month, Coffin said that the prospects look good.</p>
<p>"It is a fabulous accepted class and my colleagues in admissions are very eager to see who enrolls by the candidate's reply date on May 2," Coffin said.</p>