Early decision applications fall by 10.4%

The Admissions dean said he attributes this fall's decline to applicants' concerns about campus safety and to new early decision policies at Princeton, Stanford and Yale. Early decision applications to the University fell by 10.4 percent this year, decreasing to 1,832 from last year's 2,046. But Admissions Dean Lee Stetson was quick to point out that the decrease is not as significant as it first appears, since only 1,628 students applied early two years ago. He added, however, that negative publicity in light of the recent increase in crime on and near campus has caused many potential applicants to be wary about committing to Penn early decision. Applicants from females took a substantial hit -- down nearly 17 percent compared with only 5 percent fewer males. He noted that parents nervous about crime often play a factor in convincing their children to apply regular decision. "Six or seven students contacted the office that they want to drop back to regular decision [after applying early]," Stetson said. Days after College senior Patrick Leroy was shot in late September, parents touring the campus with their children expressed concern about campus safety. "I'd honestly prefer her to be in a nice, suburban country school," said Susan Cordillo, a Westchester County, N.Y., resident, of her daughter Maren. The breakdown of the early decision applicants showed decreases in almost every area, including three of the four undergraduate schools. Only applications to the School of Nursing increased. Applications from alumni children dropped, from 272 to 249. But 55 children of faculty and staff applied early, up from 35 last year. Minority applications decreased from 560 to 540. Stetson said states including Illinois, Michigan, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York and New Jersey all saw decreases in applications. Of note, New York's applicant total fell from 388 to 297 and only 363 New Jersey students applied, down from 412 last year. Stetson noted that the greatest concerns regarding campus safety have come from students and parents living on the Eastern seaboard and in major cities like Houston and Miami. The applications the University received showed a "strong" pool, Stetson said. The average SAT score of the applicants was 1,310. Stetson said he expects to admit 40 percent of those who applied -- making up a third of the Class of 2001. He speculated that the new early decision policies at Princeton, Stanford and Yale universities led prospective students to apply to those schools instead of Penn. Princeton, Stanford and Yale previously had early action policies that did not require incoming students to matriculate if accepted. Stetson also said some students may have been "intimidated" by last year's more selective admissions process. Last fall, the Admissions Office rejected 10-15 percent of those who applied early. The usual rejection rate for early decision applicants is only 5 percent. The dean said he expects the University's swift response on safety issues to shift regular decision numbers upward, noting that he has received positive feedback on the security initiatives already announced. Some high school seniors, however, are waiting to see how the University continues its response to the crime before deciding if they will apply to Penn at all, Stetson said. "Time will tell how those [figures] play out," he added. "Our plan is to redouble our efforts in the spring." Stetson noted that the applicant drop comes despite a 10 percent increase in prospective students' campus visits this fall and even more communication through joint travel programs with Harvard and Georgetown universities.