The decline in ED apps makes perfect sense. 1995 was the first year in recent history where there were fewer kids born than the previous year. This means that there are less kids applying in general (yayy for us!). The exponentially rising tuition and current state of the economy also come into play. A lot of people would like the option of merit scholarships or in-state tuition instead of committing to pay over $200,000. Many people aren't sure if it's worth it given the job outlook. The ED acceptance rate will likely remain the same (25%) but the RD acceptance rate will probably be higher. Good luck everyone and may the odds be ever in your favor.
Greengirl, by that logic, UPenn shouldn't have seen a 5% increase in apps, or Brown shouldn't have seen a 1% increase, or Yale shouldn't have seen a 4% increase, or Princeton shouldn't have seen a 10% increase, or UChicago shouldn't have seen a 20% increase. Dartmouth's 13% decrease in apps is most likely from the negative publicity surrounding the hazing scandal honestly, not demographic changes (which would affect every college).
Sorry I don't think I was clear. Although demographics are slightly changing, finances are the main driving factor. The rolling stones article definitely had a lot to do with it, but there are other factors. Early action application changes at Yale, Princeton, UChicago, Stanford, etc are irrelevant because those are not binding commitments. No one is forcing those kids to pay $60,000 a year if accepted, which Dartmouth is. As for Penn, their stats (GPA, SAT) are lower than Dartmouth's and their acceptance rate is higher, so that encourages more kids to apply. The quality of Dartmouth's application pool is probably better than Penn's though. Penn also had more outreach than Dartmouth. Tons of people get huge packets from Penn without filling out contact info on their website, but for Dartmouth you have to reach out to them first.
Personally I think the election also affected early decision. There was a lot of uncertainty regarding our country's future financial state around the deadline. The stock market plummeted the day after election day which confirmed many Americans' inklings.
You made good points about the outreach, admissions statistics, and ED vs. EA...Those coupled with the scandal probably are what caused the decline in applicants. The point about the election is more shaky. Out of curiosity, are you an ED applicant as well?
Yes I applied Early Decision. I doubt the election had much of an effect for most applicants but I know a few people who didn't want to make the ED commitment because of the uncertainty regarding federal loans and such.
As for Penn, their stats (GPA, SAT) are lower than Dartmouth's and their acceptance rate is higher, so that encourages more kids to apply. The quality of Dartmouth's application pool is probably better than Penn's though. Penn also had more outreach than Dartmouth. Tons of people get huge packets from Penn without filling out contact info on their website, but for Dartmouth you have to reach out to them first.
So when do we hear the results from Dartmouth?
I applied from an Asian country where hardly anybody applies to Dartmouth from with SAT scores of 1870. My chances are pretty slim you know.
That should balance out the effects of the hurricane (I think).
