The University of Chicago accepted 18 percent of applicants for the class of 2014, a record low that comes months after the University saw one of its largest jumps in applicants.
Of the 19,370 applicants—a 42 percent increase—3,560 were offered a spot at the University. Last year, 26.8 percent of applicants were accepted.
While this is the lowest acceptance rate the University has seen, University officials aren’t focusing on numbers, according to University spokesperson Sara Olkon. “The overall goal is to make sure that everyone who could contribute to and benefit from the distinctive academic culture here is encouraged to apply. That’s more important than any specific number or comparison to other institutions,” Olkon said.
The 42 percent increase in applicants reported in January was “eye-popping,” according to one education expert, and caused a stir in national media. Admissions officials have cited an array of factors contributing to the jump, including a new marketing campaign instituted last year, which included targeted e-mails on topics in which students expressed interest. The campaign also included traditional methods, like an increase in mailings to students.
The University also joined the Common Application in time for the previous crop of applicants. In its first year, there was a 1 percent decrease in the admissions rate, but the increased accessibility of the unified application may have contributed to this year’s jump, University officials said. Admissions officials have also described the “Obama factor,” which has created a higher profile for both the U of C and Hyde Park, contributing to the name recognition of the University.
Recent quality-of-life improvements at the U of C may also have drawn more students than in the past, officials said. Study abroad programs have been expanded in recent years, and a number of new buildings on campus make space for both academic and extracurricular pursuits.
The lower acceptance rate is part of a decades-long trend. In 1993, 77 percent of applicants were accepted; 38.5 percent of students were accepted for the Class of 2010, more than double that of the Class of 2014.
Admissions rates have decreased across the board this year as more students are applying to colleges than ever before.However, the U of C’s admission rate is still higher than that of its peers, which have also grown more selective. The University of Pennsylvania admitted 14 percent, down three percent from 17 percent last year. Harvard and Stanford’s admission rates dropped a few decimal points as well, landing at 6.9 and 7.2 percent, respectively.
According to the administration, the admissions office isn’t aiming to match admissions statistics of the Ivy Leagues. “I just want to reach out to every scholar in the country and let them make the decision if they’re a good fit,” Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Jim Nondorf said earlier this year.
The admissions department will have to come up with even more outrageous marketing scams to dupe unqualified students to submit applications next year to outdo the results of this year.
The comment by Sara Olkon that “University officials aren’t focusing on numbers” is hilarious. That is the only thing they are focused on with the marketing schemes employed this year. Why not own up to your intentions and admit the University wants to attract as many students (qualified or unqualifed) to submit an application?
Administrators are actively working to transform the student body of UChicago and it is so painfully obvious. They will even admit to it.
The university’s prominent standing in several world university rankings served as an important factor contributing to the hike in the number of applications. More specifically, the recent shift of popularity in the past several years from national university rankings, pariculary US News Rankings, to world university rankings has promoted the name value of the University of Chicago.
I recently interviewed a professor at Stanford for an article and she mentioned UChicago and their rise in popularity. She compares UChicago to Macalaster in the way that both colleges went up in popularity. Chicago went up in popularity, partly, because of the fact that students noticed they may have a good chance to be admitted as 1 of 2 students were getting in just a few years ago.
Lynda, UChicago has about as much in common with Macalaster as Stanford has in common with Macalaster. That snoody Stanford professor seems to dismiss UChicago’s popularity as a trend.
UChicago has always had a strong academic record, but the school never cared to play the acceptance rate/endowment game (lower acceptances=>higher prestige=>more donations). Well, the practical minded people in charge now just want to show that they can play that game as well as any other school out there.
Northwestern has early decision, University of Chicago, early action. Could that be why UC gets such a huge pool of applicants?
I compare UChicago’s rise to the rise of Apple, the perennial underdog, over Microsoft. Apple was always better than Microsoft and now has surpassed the latter in market capitalization and revenue, etc.
Same with Chicago. Chicago is quickly closing in on the Ivies in admit rate and if this trend continues for even a few years we’ll neck and neck. Clearly, Chicago is moving faster than anyone else. Chicago always had quality but lacked popularity but like Apple, it’s remedying that issue very nicely thank you very much. Most of the Ivies, despite the popularity of their undergraduate programs, really aren’t very good as universities overall anyway. Brown, Dartmouth, etc. And even Princeton doesn’t even have a law school or business school or medical school.