<p>
[quote]
Under a new enrollment-boosting proposal floated by Yale, the Ivy League darling of gritty New Haven might finally get within striking distance of fair Harvard. </p>
<pre><code>Yale President Richard Levin told Bloomberg News that two committees are considering how it might add up to 200 students a year, a move that would make the Ivy League tussle for students even more competitive. Yale will decide next year whether to go forward with the tentative plan, which would eventually raise its enrollment from around 5,300 to 6,100 - narrowing the gap with Harvards 6,700.
Jack Maguire, the chairman of the Concord educational consulting firm Maguire Associates, said Yales move would likely mean that Yale would end up taking students who would otherwise be attending schools just below them in the college rankings, such as the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia.
</code></pre>
<p>...</p>
<pre><code>Maguire guessed that Yale would need to admit about 400 extra students to get the 200 bump in enrollment. And while he said the Yale boost would have an impact right up and down the line, no question, he cautioned that college admissions is a very complicated system, so the effect would not be easily seen.
Two hundred divided by all the places those kids are applying probably wouldnt register in our applicant pool, noted Tufts undergrad admissions dean Lee Coffin, who added that the big question mark this year is the change in the early decision policy at Harvard.
</code></pre>
<p>This isn't something likely to happen in the immediate future. Yale is considering building two more residential colleges, but it probably won't start building those at least until it finishes renovating the current colleges (another few years) and it won't expand the class size until the new colleges are in place (since otherwise there won't be enough housing). Probably no student currently on CC is likely to be directly affected by any change.</p>
<p>I'm glad sval posted that. This isn't really a fresh news item. The 200 extra admitees will occur when the University BUILDS two more residential colleges -- which isn't going to occur overnight. The alumni magazine has an informal contest where alums are submitting names of people for whom the new colleges might be named.</p>
<p>It might help my KIDS' chances (oldest is going into 5th grade) but it's not that personally relevant for any CC member like sval said -- unless they're in 6th grade or something! Oh heaven help us if that's the case!!!</p>
<p>EDIT: I just read that Boston Herald article. The timeline that I discussed is totally absent. What a poor job of reporting context! It totally skews the actual importance of the Yale expansion plans. And it's not as if Harvard doesn't have committees in place to look to expanding its undergrad population too. What a POOR ARTICLE!</p>
<p>I wonder why they're considering doing that when the # of high school students will start declining around 2011. Seems now is the time for colleges to begin preparing for that eventuality, not making expansion plans.</p>
<p>Actually that is incorrect - the 'boom' will have died off, but due to increases related to normal population growth and immigration(plus higher grad %'s) classes are expected to at least maintain.</p>
<p>Also, there is less supply than demand right now(as is demonstrated by a 10% admit rate among a qualified pool), so they could add spots without any problem.</p>
<p>Northstarmom: I was at a session w/Admissions Dean Brenzel and he explained the fact that it pains them to have to reject so many qualified applicants. Enrollment expansion seemed like a logical step to alleviate some of that. In Pres Levin's quotes in the original Bloomberg article (which, BTW, does indicate that it's a long-term proposal unlike this Boston Herald article which omits that relevant fact) are along the same lines too. Bottom line, they want to allow more to experience Yale -- and not as a function of apps nos or student population nos.</p>
<p>God damn, I envy the current 7th graders. The current mini-population with college-age students will end with them thus alleviating the applicant pool making it less competitive to apply to college, and now Yale is thinking of adding more students!</p>