Acceptance rates fall for fourth year

Getting into Penn is becoming harder and harder, and prospective students have found themselves competing with a rapidly growing pool of applicants over the past several years. Thirty-six percent of the University's 2,851 early-decision applicants to the class of 2005 were admitted in December, down from 38.8 percent from the previous year. The number of total early applicants rose 11 percent from 2,570 last year. Dean of Admissions Lee Stetson pointed to Penn's sixth-place ranking in U.S. News and World Report as one of the factors behind the increased interest in the University. Stetson said the new ranking was a "reflection on the quality of the University," which helps in student recruitment. The early admittants for the class of 2005, which will comprise 44 percent of the total class, also saw an increase in ethnic minority applicants across the board. The incoming early decision group contains 305 minority students -- an acceptance rate of 29.5 percent, up from 26.4 percent last year. More specifically, black students made up 2.7 percent of all early-decision admissions. Last year's total was 2.4 percent. The number of admitted Latino applicants also rose from 4.2 percent for the class of 2004 to 5.9 percent this year. Just over 20 percent of early decision admittants are Asian, up from 19.4 percent last year. Regional Director of Undergraduate Admissions Marisa Halm pointed out that this year's pool of admitted applicants was a "high-powered" one capable of "amazing things." The class of 2005 is, Halm said, "not only energetic in the classroom but active outside." Halm said that the University is always aiming to attract larger audiences at admissions information meetings, adding that Penn's "mantra is to add more chairs." The University admitted record numbers of applicants from California, Florida and Connecticut. Across the four undergraduate schools, Penn accepted 38.4 percent of early-decision applicants to the College, 36.3 percent to Engineering, 30.7 percent to Wharton and 61.8 percent to the School of Nursing. The percentage of women in the early-decision acceptance pool grew to 47.4 percent, from 46 percent for last year's freshman class. Stetson pointed to Penn's campus environment as a contributing factor to the increased interest in the University, also noting the value of Penn's joint recruiting programs with schools such as Harvard, Duke and Georgetown. Stetson said that Penn promises a lively campus life which is "contagious to students." The average SAT I score for the early decision pool was 1395 -- up one point from last year -- and the average SAT II score increased four points from last year to 702. Stetson pointed out that the trend of high interest in early admission programs is increasing. And for 1,033 eager students who signed a contract promising to enroll at Penn, the pressure is off for college applications. Regular decision applications were due on January 1, and decisions will be mailed April 1.

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