Stanford University

News Service


NEWS RELEASE

1/28/98

CONTACT: Marisa Cigarroa, News Service (650) 725-9750;
e-mail marisac@leland.stanford.edu

Applications continue on upward trend

Although the official count won't be in for several months, Stanford's admission office reports having received a record 18,714 applications from high school students vying for a spot in the Class of 2002.

This figure represents an 11 percent increase over last year, continuing an upward trend. Last year's 16,842 applications represented a 7 percent increase from the previous year.

Robert Kinnally, dean of admission and financial aid, says Stanford's growing popularity can only be viewed as a success. "It's about Stanford being a great place," he said.

Kinnally credits Stanford's award-winning faculty, particularly its recent Nobel Prize winners, curricular improvements and various admission office recruitment initiatives for the jump in applications. And having a famous freshman in this year's class doesn't hurt, of course, he noted.

The number of applicants who ranked Stanford as their first choice by applying through the early decision program also has increased, the admission office reported. Those seeking early decisions from Stanford can apply by Nov. 1 and receive notification before Christmas, or by Dec. 1 and receive notification in early February.

There was a 34 percent percent jump in the number of first-round early decision applicants (1,580 this year compared to 1,180 last year) and a 20 percent jump in the number of second-round early decision applicants (1,591 this year compared to 1,329 last year).

Offers of admission were sent to 410 first-round early decision candidates. The remaining 1,170 applicants were either rejected or deferred for consideration with the regular round of applicants.

This year, a record number of students will be turned away from Stanford. The exact number of applicants that will be accepted in order to enroll a freshman class of 1,610 is still being debated.

Last year, 2,596 students were admitted and about 40 more students accepted Stanford's offer than had been predicted. As a result, housing for undergraduates on campus was tight and a number of common rooms had to be converted into bedrooms to accommodate the extra students.

"It's incredibly stressful," Kinnally said of the number-crunching involved in trying to determine how many students to accept in order to enroll a class of 1,610.

"You've got to try to hit it right on the money, if you can, and that's hard because it's not a science."

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By Marisa Cigarroa


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