Admission rates drop at Penn, Ivies

Penn's overall acceptance rate, encompassing both the early and regular decision pools, reached an all-time low of 20.5 percent this year. Penn received 18,827 applications for the Class of 2007, and 3,858 students were offered admission.

Last year's overall acceptance rate was only slightly higher, at 21.1 percent.

Regular decision applicants faced especially stiff competition this year. The acceptance rate of the regular decision pool was 16.5 percent, while early decision applicants saw an acceptance rate of 33 percent this fall.

"This was the strongest applicant pool we've ever had," Dean of Admissions Lee Stetson said.

Stetson cited several quality indicators of this year's accepted students. The average combined SAT score rose seven points from last year to 1426. Of the students accepted, 689 were valedictorians, and the majority were in the 98th percentile of their graduating class.

Acceptance rates varied among the four undergraduate schools. All in all, 19.4 percent of College applicants, 15.5 percent of Wharton applicants, 28.1 percent of Engineering applicants and 42.6 percent of Nursing applicants were admitted.

Twelve percent of deferred early decision applicants received offers of admission in the regular round.

This year, 1,510 minority students were accepted, down from 1,583 last year. Of these students, 17 are Native American and 278 are Hispanic while 346 are black, down from 353 last year. However, 45 black students were early decision applicants and have already committed to Penn.

Most of Penn's peers also saw lower acceptance rates overall from last year's numbers.

Harvard University's acceptance rate of 9.8 percent was the lowest among the Ivies and a record low for Harvard as well, according to a university news office release. Princeton University's rate was only slightly higher at 9.9 percent, down from 10.8 percent last year. Princeton accepted 1,570 of 15,725 total applicants, according to a university news release.

Columbia University's admit rate was about 10.8 percent, according to an admissions representative. This is slightly down from last year's rate of 11.6 percent.

Yale University's acceptance rate was also at a historic low of 11.4 percent, the Yale Daily News reported. Brown University and Dartmouth College also saw lower acceptance rates, of 14.9 and 17.5 percent, respectively.

Cornell University was the only Ivy to see a higher acceptance rate this year. Cornell accepted 31 percent of all applicants, up from last year's 24.4 percent, according to The Cornell Daily Sun.

Now that acceptance and rejection letters have been sent out, the Office of Admissions is switching gears to focus on drawing accepted students to Penn.

Of the 3,858 offers of admission, Stetson said he expects about 2,385 students to matriculate at Penn.

This projected yield is slightly lower than last year's.

"We expect the yield to be a little lower due to factors like the economy, fear of terrorism in major cities and the stronger applicant pool," Stetson said.

Next week, accepted students can attend Penn Preview Days, a schedule of programs designed to familiarize them with the campus and encourage them to matriculate.

Minority students can also attend the Minority Scholars Weekend, during which they spend three days at Penn. Although this program is geared toward minorities, it is also designed for students of any background who are economically disadvantaged, Stetson said.

"Penn Preview programs are open to students who applied early as well, even though they have already made their decision to come," Stetson said. "We love to have them because they are already excited about coming to Penn."

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