<p>One quick question, is Chicago really much more self-selective than than many of its peer schools? Here’s some Data I pulled through a quick internet search, of peer colleges that are roughly the same size as Chicago:</p>
<p>Cornell: <a href=“http://dpb.cornell.edu/documents/1000146.pdf[/url]”>http://dpb.cornell.edu/documents/1000146.pdf</a> (around 15K applications to the College of Arts & Sciences)</p>
<p>Penn: [Penn</a> Admissions: Incoming Class Profile<a href=“around%2015K%20applications%20to%20the%20College%20of%20Arts%20and%20Sciences%20-%20I’m%20subtracting%20out%20about%207k%20total%20apps%20for%20Wharton,%20Engineering,%20and%20Nursing”>/url</a></p>
<p>Dartmouth: [url=<a href=“http://www.dartmouth.edu/~news/releases/2009/01/23.html]Dartmouth”>http://www.dartmouth.edu/~news/releases/2009/01/23.html]Dartmouth</a> reports 9 percent increase in admissions applications](<a href=“http://www.admissions.upenn.edu/profile/]Penn”>http://www.admissions.upenn.edu/profile/)</p>
<p>Had a big jump in the past couple years specifically, but generally averages around 16K applications a year now. </p>
<p>Chicago in the past year had around 14K applications. I think it was around 13,600 maybe?</p>
<p>The difference between 14k and 16K isn’t that drastic, and can’t really be used to show that one college is “self-selective” whereas another college is not. </p>
<p>UChicagoPSAC - Thanks so much for your post, but I’m a little unclear about this point. Again, as far as I can see from current admissions trends at Chicago, the school isn’t really self-selective from a numerical point of view. We’re quickly joining the Joneses, it appears. </p>
<p>Put another way, I don’t know if I buy self-selection as much any more. Yes Chicago is a more “particularized” product in the college marketplace, but as demand for a “top ten” college grows, it seems as if apps to Chicago are increasing accordingly. Barring huge jumps at any of the schools I mentioned, within a few years, it’s perfectly forseeable that the College at Chicago receives more apps than at a few of Chicago’s peer schools. </p>
<p>As a point of contrast, when I applied to the U of C in the mid-1990s, I think we received around 5000 applications my year. Dartmouth received around 12K, Cornell (as you can see from the link) received around 10K applications, and Penn was probably around 11K or so for the College. Most peers back then received more than DOUBLE the apps for Chicago. Now in less than a decade, Chicago has closed the gap to maybe a couple thousand apps. Self-selection seems to be an eroding doctrine here.</p>