EARLY DECISION

Despite recent questions about admission policies and procedures, Princeton admission office saw an increase in the number of early applicants this year.

There were 2,350 early applicants this year compared to last year's 2,120, about an 11-percent increase. Straying from University tradition and the actions of nearly every Ivy League school, Dean of Admission Fred Hargadon would not release early decision statistics for the Class of 2007 until all regular admission decisions have been made because he thinks the process has become too much like a "sporting event."

The early admission process has also come under the radar of higher education leaders, including the University of North Carolina, Stanford University and Yale University, which have thrown out their binding early decision programs in the past year.

Indeed, increases in early applications remained a trend throughout the Ivy League.

Yale topped the Ivies with a 23-percent increase in applications, receiving 2,600 early applications this year compared to last year's 2,100.

Dartmouth College saw a 7- to 8-percent increase in applicants. The University of Pennsylvania saw a 16-percent increase, and its admission office expects to admit 45 to 48 percent from the early applicant pool.

Columbia University had an 11-percent increase in early applicants and plans to admit 45 to 47 percent into the Class of 2007.

Columbia's admissions office responded to criticism it received after admitting 49 percent of the Class of 2006 from the early applicant pool by lowering that number this year.

Regular Decision

Princeton received a record 15,725 applications for spots in the Class of 2007, and accepted 1,570 students. The acceptance rate of 9.9 percent is down this year from 10.8 last year.

The number of applications was up 8 percent from last year, when the total received was 14,521.

Of the students who received fat envelopes, 591 were admitted early decision in the fall. These numbers are only slightly lower than those for the Class of 2006, for which a total of 1,585 students were admitted, and 585 of whom were admitted early.

Princeton applicants came from 6,051 different secondary schools and 117 different countries. Out of the initial 117 countries, 57 are represented among the admitted students, and international students make up 10.3 percent of this group.

Of those U.S. citizens and permanent residents admitted, 34 percent are of minority background, 10.5 percent are children of alumni and 7.1 percent are the first generation of their families to attend college.

With admissions to Princeton and other Ivies growing more competitive each year, newly appointed Dean of Admissions Janet Rapelye, will take over for Hargadon next year, and Hargadon relinquishes the task willingly.