How did the economy affect admissions?

The answer is we still don’t have a complete answer. For now, to satisfy my own curiosity (and perhaps yours), I did some very rough number crunching.  (To be honest, that’s the only kind I ever do.  My stats work is generally confined to answering questions as they flash in my mind.)

It looks like the total number of applications was up by a little less than ten percent over last year.  That’s significant, but hardly eye popping.  What’s more interesting is where a lot of these extra applications came from:  our youngest applicants.  In absolute terms, the increased number of applications from prospective students aged 23 and under was nearly half of the total increase in applications. Meanwhile, the average age of applicants was virtually unchanged — about 26 — and only about a fifth of the added applications came from applicants between ages 26 and 28.

One of the other questions that popped in my head recently regarded the fate of applicants for whom this was not the first application.  Taking a very rough look at the reapplicants, over 70 percent were either admitted or offered a place on the wait list.  Although a few of them might have been admitted the first time, too, I still think it’s fair to conclude that the majority of applicants who reapply have a more favorable result the second time around.

It’s possible that more careful examination of the applicant pool, or of the admitted-student or enrolling-student rosters will reveal other interesting tidbits.  For now, I’d have to say that this year’s admissions process looked much like that of other years.

4 thoughts on “How did the economy affect admissions?

  • March 29, 2009 at 10:28 pm
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    Thank you for your response, Jessica. Very much appreciated.

    I love this approach that your office is taking with the admissions process…being very transparent and giving timely details. It’s quite different from how some other universities handle it.

    Cheers!

  • March 29, 2009 at 2:19 pm
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    This is one of those areas where I need to tread very carefully, so as not to mislead anyone. As I’m sure you can imagine, we build into our scholarship model the assumption that admitted students have many options and some will decline our offer and accept someone else’s. Although we distribute all our funds in March, we hope to have some to work with if we go to the wait list. After all of that is done, if we have funds remaining, we will distribute them. The problem for admitted students who are hoping for new or increased awards is that you need to make your enrollment decision long before we would know if we have funds available.

    All students, regardless of whether they applied for a first-year scholarship or not, can apply for a second-year scholarship. In general, we have some funds available for new awards.

    I’m sorry I can’t be more encouraging. I want you to know we don’t withhold funds, but at this time we also don’t have any available. If you have other questions, particularly about your own situation, please feel free to contact me by email.

  • March 29, 2009 at 3:10 am
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    Hi Jessica,

    For students who were admitted but not given any financial aid – is there any chance this might change later, if those who are offered aid decline their offers?

    Thank you.

  • March 26, 2009 at 5:16 pm
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    Regarding reapplicants, I’ll repeat what I said at the NYC reception last night – thank you for sending customized work experience rejections. I got one two years ago, and it gave me sufficient hope to defer grad school for two years and live a little more, and I’m undoubtedly happy that I did…and thank you also for accepting me this year!

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