With a record-setting 16,835 applications - up 10 percent from last year - as of Friday, the applicant pool to the Class of 2009 is the biggest ever, and one of the most diverse.
While the numbers are not final, the number of black, Asian-American, Latino and American Indian applicants all increased this year, said Michael Goldberger, director of admission.
The number of black applicants increased by 14 percent, and Asian-American and Latino applicants both increased by 6 percent. American Indian applications increased 27 percent to 75 applicants. Goldberger said these numbers are subject to change because nearly 3,000 applicants did not identify their race on their application, but he added that most of those applicants are usually white.
International applicants were up 13 percent, Goldberger said, from 1,465 last year to 1,657 this year.
The percentage of applications that were submitted electronically also increased this year from 40 percent to 49 percent.
The most-represented region for applicants is Southern New England, with 17 percent of applicants from Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The second most represented region is California, followed by New York, and then the Mid-Atlantic region, which includes New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The least-represented region, at 4 percent of the applicant pool, is the breadbasket of the U.S., which includes states such as Iowa, Nebraska and the Dakotas.
Fifty-eight percent of all applicants were women. Goldberger said that for the past six to seven years, the applicant pool has been typically 55 to 59 percent female.
Sixty-one percent of applicants attend public schools, 24 percent attend private schools and 10 percent attend parochial schools, while the remaining 5 percent are unknown. These numbers show no significant change from last year.
Thirty-five percent of applicants indicated academic interest in math and sciences, 23 percent in humanities, 22 percent in social science and 7 percent in engineering, with 13 percent undecided.
Goldberger said 66 percent of applicants applied for financial aid, an increase from last year. But he added that this number was misleading because usually only 70 percent of those who apply for financial aid qualify.
Goldberger said the final tally of applicants won't be available until March, but he said he doesn't expect the number to increase by more than 10.
