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Applicant pool jumps 11 percent, with large increase in minorities
The Office of Admissions has received 31,428 applications to full-time undergraduate programs for the 2005-2006 school year, an 11 percent increase over last year’s applicant pool. The deadline for applications was January 1.
Many more minority students applied as well, with African-American applicants up roughly 19 percent from last year, Hispanic students about 15 percent, and Native Americans 14 percent. Applications from international students increased by 11 percent.
“This is hugely exciting,” says Kelly Walter, executive director of the Office of Admissions, “because it allows us to improve the overall ethnic and demographic diversity of the University. To see larger numbers of minority students applying tells us that we’ve been successful in our attempts to identify and attract such students.”
In addition, the quality of this year’s applicant pool is excellent, with average SAT scores up from last year’s 1266 to 1272, and more than half of applicants in the top 10 percent of their class. About 700 students applied for early decision, an increase of 52 percent from last year.
“We’re seeing more and more students who identify BU as their first choice,” says Walter. “And when we look at the overlap in the schools that our applicants are interested in, we see schools like Brown, Harvard, and the University of Pennsylvania, which indicates that BU is regarded as a top-tier institution.
“Given the strengths and the size of our applicant pool,” she adds, “I’m very confident that next year’s freshman class will be as strong, if not stronger, than in any previous year.”
25
February 2005
Boston University
Office of University Relations