Harvard Acceptance Rate Hits Record Low

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Harvard Acceptance Rate Hits Record Low
By DANIEL J. T. SCHUKER
Crimson Staff Writer

Admission to Harvard College became more competitive than ever this year, as
the school accepted a record-low 9.1 percent of applicants for the Class of
2009, according to figures released on Thursday.

Of the 22,276 who applied this year-already a record high for Harvard-2,074
were admitted to the Class of 2009.

Officials projected that the incoming freshman class will be the most
economically diverse in Harvard's history, crediting University President
Lawrence H. Summers' new Harvard Financial Aid Initiative (HFAI).

The initiative-announced in February 2004-eliminates the parental
contribution to tuition for families earning less than $40,000 each year. It
also lowers the financial contribution for parents who make between $40,000
and $60,000.

The Admissions Office stated in a press release that the program was
responsible for both an increase in the economic diversity as well as the
boost in the raw number of applicants.

Twenty-two percent more students in the prospective Class of 2009 will
benefit from the program than in the current freshman class, according to
the press release. The Admissions Office expects that a total of nearly 360
of this year's admitted students will qualify for HFAI.

Harvard will also spend a record amount on financial aid for students next
year, allocating $84.6 million for undergraduate scholarships. This marks a
56 percent increase over the past six years, according to the Admissions
Office's statement.

In addition, the average student aid package will approach $30,000, the
press release stated. Full tuition for the 2005-2006 academic year will rise
to $41,675, as Harvard announced last month.

"The underlying message is that this place is open to everybody," Dean of
Admissions and Financial Aid William R. Fitzsimmons '67 said.

"The increase in the pool came from people in all kinds of backgrounds, rich
and poor," he added.

Harvard currently awards financial aid to two-thirds of its undergraduates
in the form of scholarships, loans, and work-study jobs, according to the
press release.

Notwithstanding the increased selectivity and socioeconomic diversity, the
prospective Class of 2009 is statistically similar to the current freshman
class in several respects, Fitzsimmons observed.

Geographic representation resembles that of last year's admitted class, with
students hailing from all over the United States and from 80 different
countries.

The male-female ratio is about even, with 20 more men admitted than women.
Last year, Harvard accepted-and later enrolled-a slightly greater number of
females, a first in the school's history.

The percentage of African-American students reached a record high of 10.5
percent, up from 10.3 percent last year. The number of Latinos, Native
Americans, and Asian Americans only changed marginally from last year.

Fitzsimmons said that the applicants for the Class of 2009 were as
competitive as in years past, adding that many highly qualified candidates
had to be turned down.

"It's always hard to get in...but it seemed unusually tough this year,"
Fitzsimmons said. "We finally ended up having to take out a lot of people
who were very good."

Harvard's 9.1 percent acceptance rate-a drop from last year's rate of 10.3
percent-made Harvard more competitive than all of its rival schools this
year.

Princeton admitted 10.9 percent of its applicants this year, while Stanford
admitted just under 12 percent.

Yale admitted 9.7 percent of its applicants. Last year, Yale accepted 9.9
percent of applicants, proving more selective than Harvard.

Harvard notified most applicants of its admission decisions on Thursday
evening via e-mail. All students were sent traditional notification letters
as well.

Harvard plans to hold a Visiting Program for admitted students the weekend
of April 29-30, during which prospective students will have the chance to
gain an extended look at the college. The Admissions Office said in the
statement that it will also reach out to accepted applicants in the next
month through online chat rooms and message boards, regional gatherings of
prospective classmates, and personal meetings with admissions officers.

Admitted students have until just after May 1 to accept or decline a place
in Harvard's Class of 2009.

-Staff writer Daniel J. T. Schuker can be reached at
dschuker.DeleteThis@fas.harvard.edu.