Also, the quality of the applicant pool is also important to consider as well as the actual number of applications. My sense is that with the increasing number of applications there is a wider pool of strong applicants both nationally and internationally. Rankings such as USNews and Forbes can be a factor in drawing applicants from the South and West Coast and internationally. The drive to increase the diversity of the pool leads to new groups of students applying and has the benefit of making the school overall more appealing. Williams is definitely becoming one of the top choice schools for a wider audience of students.