<p>^ Willamette has been deliberately taking steps to become more selective. Their applications have more than quadrupled over the past five years. Here’s an excerpt from President Pelton’s “State of the University 2008-09 Address”:</p>
<p>“As the CLA admission season draws to a close, Willamette has achieved several benchmarks. We have received almost 6,000 applications for admission, a 42% increase over 2008. CLA applications have doubled since 2007 and quadrupled during the last decade. Our applicants come from 49 states and 22 countries. We admitted 57% of our applicants this year, vs. 66% in 2008 and 77% in 2007. Willamette now approaches an important admission benchmark: our goal is to join the small group of colleges and universities nationwide who admit fewer than 50% of their applicants. According to US News & World Report, of its 1,321 nationally ranked colleges and universities, 214 institutions admit fewer than 50% of applicants and 392 admit fewer than 60%.”</p>
<p>Source: [Presidential</a> Remarks - 2009 State of the University Address - Willamette University](<a href=“http://www.willamette.edu/about/president/speeches/sou/2009.html]Presidential”>http://www.willamette.edu/about/president/speeches/sou/2009.html)</p>