The acceptance rate for the Class of 2024 was 6.2 percent, Dean of Admissions James Nondorf said during an online admitted students reception Saturday. According to Nondorf, the University received 34,400 applicants to the Class of 2024, a slight decrease from the 34,648 applications received for the Class of 2023. The acceptance rate for the Class of 2024 was the same as for the Class of 2023.
The University typically does not officially comment on admissions numbers until fall quarter. This is the third year in a row that Nondorf has released admissions statistics during an admitted students reception, following a similar announcement last year.
The average SAT score for the Class of 2024 was 1518, and the average ACT score was 34, according to Nondorf. 99 percent of admitted students were in the top 10 percent of their high school class.
This is the first year since the Class of 2021 that the University has not seen the admit rate fall. Admission rates have fallen steadily since the Class of 2021 was admitted with a rate of 8.73 percent, up until last year, when 6.2 percent of students were admitted to the Class of 2023.
The University is not alone in seeing rising or constant acceptance rates for the Class of 2024. Five of the seven Ivy League Universities that released admissions statistics for the Class of 2024 saw increases in acceptance rates, which The Wall Street Journal attributed to a variety of factors including the novel coronavirus. “Students considering offers or awaiting decisions later this week from colleges across the selectivity spectrum can expect higher acceptance rates, as colleges take measures to ensure they will still have enough students enrolled come fall.”
Nondorf also referenced the novel coronavirus throughout the event, mentioning digital resources including mock lectures and campus tours available to admitted students throughout April, as a replacement for the University’s annual admitted student overnight events. Nondorf also encouraged students to remain positive amid the virus. “It’s easy to focus on things you didn’t get to do,” Nondorf said. “Don’t worry. You have plenty of time to [experience campus] over the next four years. Take advantage of the opportunities you do have, appreciate the opportunities you do have.”
Nondorf also praised the Class of 2024 for their diversity. According to Nondorf, 274 admitted students are first-generation college students, and 156 admitted students are from “small towns or little rural areas all around the world.” Half of the admitted students come from six states, with 13 percent of admitted students from California, 11 percent from New York, 10 percent from Illinois, 6 percent from Texas, and 5 percent from both Florida and Massachusetts.
13 percent of the students admitted to the Class of 2024 are international students. “Over 60 students” were admitted from China and the United Kingdom, and “between 10 and 20” students were admitted from India, Brazil, Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, and Canada.
Nondorf also praised the achievements of several high-achieving students.
“Individually, you guys are so accomplished. In your class, we have a quarterfinalist and a finalist on teen Jeopardy!. I guess we’ll be winning the next college championship with those two in the class. One of your peers has created two modern operas, and has performed with the Peking Opera all across the world. One of you is Oman’s Woman of the Year, is a swimmer on the Oman national team, and is the first female swimmer on the national team. One of your entrepreneurial peers has a patent pending for an artificial intelligence swim goggle that is being made in conjunction with Olympic swimmers, in your class is a nationally ranked archer, and the No. 2 ranked Scrabble player in the world. And finally one of you is the first high school student ever to present research at NASA, and they’re actually launching your scientific project into space.”
Despite the stagnating acceptance rate, Nondorf told admitted students the Class of 2024 was “the most selective, most accomplished, and most diverse student body and freshman class in the history of UChicago,” mirroring verbiage used in prior years’ admitted student events.
