<p>Here's the article in Student Life. <a href="http://media.www.studlife.com/media/storage/paper337/news/2007/04/13/News/Student.Body.To.Be.Reduced.Over.Five.Years-2840475.shtml%5B/url%5D">http://media.www.studlife.com/media/storage/paper337/news/2007/04/13/News/Student.Body.To.Be.Reduced.Over.Five.Years-2840475.shtml</a></p>
<p>Although it won't have much of an impact on me, I am extremely happy to hear this. It's what should be done for current students.</p>
<p>My S is in the big freshman class this year and one does wonder how the higher numbers in that class will affect housing choices, internship and fellowship opportunities and the like. I kind of wish they had started this process a couple years ago so the smaller numbers would be in place for his benefit (assuming he would be admitted under tighter conditions of course.) I heard that freshman admissions this year were held down because of the overenrollment last year and because there would be a severe housing crunch again if they did not act conservatively regarding admissions. I guess they'll know in a few weeks how large this freshman class will be.</p>
<p>This is good news for everyone except for the qualified applicants who were waitlisted this year...but there enough threads that capture that anger. lol.</p>
<p>This is horrible news for me, I guess my chances of getting in are much lower now.</p>
<p>do we have to bring sleeping bags to admitted students weekend at Wash U?</p>
<p>Just more of WashU's USNews manipulatiion.</p>
<p>nashi16, I was at the Olin spotlight weekend and brought a sleeping bag. Although not required, if you would like to sleep on something other than the bare floor or a couch (if you are even in a room w/ one), it is definitely a necessity.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Just more of WashU's USNews manipulatiion.
[/quote]
Yield factors in for a whopping 1.5% of the US News score... That's not going to make much of an effect. The reduction in the student population will help, as some resources here have definitely been strained (namely housing & forcing students off campus, forced triples, longer lines at dining establishments, etc.) with the increased population. The target they've been aiming for has been 1350 students admitted as freshmen for a few years, and last year they let in 1470. All this means is that they will actually go through with better planning for the same exact number they've been planning all along. It's a difference of 120 students freshman year (that shouldn't have happened), and a some transfer students here and there.</p>
<p>This article from last year may help prove that their target has been 1350 - <a href="http://media.www.studlife.com/media/storage/paper337/news/2006/05/16/News/Summer.Edition.Larger.Than.Expected.Freshman.Class.Pushes.Upperclassmen.Off.Camp-2118333.shtml%5B/url%5D">http://media.www.studlife.com/media/storage/paper337/news/2006/05/16/News/Summer.Edition.Larger.Than.Expected.Freshman.Class.Pushes.Upperclassmen.Off.Camp-2118333.shtml</a> . The year prior to this (current Sophomores) had 1380 students accept spots, and that's around what it's been for a few years. Last year was a fluke.</p>
<p>I think schools should be EXPANDING, not decreasing. There needs to be more room for the brightest students.</p>
<p>Yes but the effect of these smaller private institutions is lost after a certain student population is reached. Eventually they will approach public school characteristics if the student body continues to grow, and who would pay almost 50,000 for a public postsecondary education. Besides, the resources are only able to accommodate a certain number of students. The plan makes sense to me.</p>
<p>19382, they don't have enough endowment per capita to really be as effective as they were/want to be if they expand their school. Plus, it really isn't possible at WashU to expand at this point in time because they're more focused on improving things for their students and replacing old dorms instead of building new ones.</p>
<p>Actually, I was told that WashU is building a new dorm, over by Millrook on the North Side. In light of the decision to lower freshman enrollment, I would assume that this new housing is planned to allow more undergrads to stay on campus for all four years if they choose. I applaud this.</p>
<p>My understanding is that this dorm is to replace an older one that will be pulled down this summer. They have been replacing a dorm a year for the past few years.</p>
<p>They are not tearing down a dorm this summer. Instead, they are renovating Park Hall so it can house freshman. They are going to build a new apartment building on the North side, but I am not sure when the construction on that will start.</p>
<p>The demolition of the 4 old freshman dorms have been put on hold for now. I'm guessing that part of the issue relates to the logistics of building a new dorm while the old one is still up. This may be hard for those 4 dorms, as there isn't really a good place to build a new dorm on the 40 without destroying another one. I'm guessing that once the new apartments are built, they may convert an upperclassmen dorm to a freshman dorm, and have upperclassmen live in the new apartment building in the meantime.</p>
<p>Decrease in student body though will probably mean tuition will go up...</p>
<p>Jewballer223 - Actually, it shouldn't. I am pretty sure that the university spends more per student than it takes in (with the difference being covered by the endowment). This isn't really a "decrease" in student body as much of a plan to actually stick to the target class size that has been set over the past few years (and not followed).</p>
<p>I'm on the wait list and I contacted a washu admissions officer. She said that the acceptance and wait list decisions were decided with knowledge of the cut in the student body even though we just learned about it. It was planned so they would accept a few off the waitlist as usual. So, fear not, fellow waitlisters, you have the same chance as last year. Maybe a little better because they want to make sure a fluke like last year doesn't happen.</p>