Admissions yield hits a new record

More high school students than expected accepted the offer to attend the University. The University's admissions yield rate --Ethe percentage of admitted students who choose to matriculate -- hit an all-time high of 54 percent this year, according to admissions officials, meaning that there will be approximately 200 more freshmen than officials were expecting. Last year, the matriculation rate was just below 50 percent. Admissions officials had previously expected the yield to remain at about 50 percent again this year, in which Penn admitted 26.6 percent of its applicants -- a record low. But despite those projections, 2,545 students responded "yes" to their offers of admission as of last Monday, creating a "boom class of more responses than we expected," Admissions Dean Lee Stetson said. This number is well over the target of 2,350 that Stetson was anticipating in April. However, he noted that it is more likely that only about 2,460 students will actually enroll this fall since some students change their plans during the summer months. Stetson added that the high yield is "really encouraging news" because it shows Penn's increasing popularity and desirability among high school students. "It's good that we're being seen as a school of choice," he said. He also attributed the unusually high yield to the increasing selectivity of Penn and other schools, noting that a number of Ivy League and other highly selective schools have had higher-than-expected yields this year. Stetson called the larger-than-expected group a "challenge of riches." "It's an excellent class," he said, noting that the average matriculant's SAT score increased to 1389 from 1383 last year and that the average matriculant is still in the top 3 percent of his or her high school class. In addition to the overall increase in the size of the freshman class, three of the University's four undergraduate schools will have a larger number of freshmen than last year. The College of Arts and Sciences will have 1,643 matriculants, up from 1,538 last year; the School of Engineering and Applied Science will have 442 matriculants, up from 426 last year, and the Wharton School will have 402 matriculants, up from 378 last year. Only the Nursing School will have fewer matriculants, down to 58 from 66 last year. Overall, 1,229 women accepted their offers of admission, or 48.3 percent of the total number of matriculants. Minority students -- including blacks, Asian Americans, Latinos and Native Americans -- comprise 37.5 percent of the incoming class with 951 matriculants, up from 873 last year. But this number falls significantly, to 313 students -- or 12.4 percent -- when Asian Americans are not included. About 10 percent of next year's freshman class will be composed of foreign students. And all 50 states will be represented, with Alabama, California, Colorado, Illinois, Louisiana, Montana, North Carolina, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wyoming all having record numbers of matriculants. Though fewer Pennsylvania students will be in next year's freshman class than last year's, Pennsylvania remains the state with the largest number of matriculants. And Philadelphia will send 129 students to next year's freshman class, up from 122 last year. Despite the unexpectedly large number of students who accepted the University's offer of admission to the Class of 2003, Stetson said that he doesn't foresee any significant problems for next year's students. "My understanding is that housing will be available," Stetson said, though he noted that his office is still in discussions with housing officials. He also said that new sections may need to be added to courses which are popular among freshmen. "It's not a matter of trouble," Stetson added, noting that it is better to have too many students accepting offers of admission than too few. However, Stetson said, admissions officers will need to be more careful next year in making offers of admission to ensure that a similar situation will not occur again. "We would not like to see this happen two years in a row," he said. Stetson added that admissions officers will be "a little more conservative" in accepting transfer students whose applications for admission this fall are currently under consideration.