Once again, Penn’s next freshman class will be the University’s best.
SAT scores are up 20 points over the past two years and applications came from 48 states and all across the world, according to Dean of Admissions Eric Furda.
The increase was geographically “fairly broad-based,” according to Furda.
Penn saw its largest applicant increases from New York, Connecticut and California. From California alone, applications rose by 20 percent.
“Students are finding [the] process ever more unpredictable,” Matthew Greene of Educational Consulting Centers said.
Because top schools are becoming increasingly selective due to increases in applications, Greene is finding that students are now applying to over ten schools rather than three or four, as they have done in the past.
The Class of 2014 simply has been filling out many more applications than previous prospective classes, resulting in an inflated applicant pool.
Regarding Penn’s increase in international applications, Greene said, “Penn has been actively recruiting internationally.”
Dean Furda, School of Arts and Sciences Dean Rebecca Bushnell and Engineering Dean Eduardo Glandt recently traveled to Mumbai — part of efforts to maintain a recruiting presence abroad.
Greene added that Penn may also be benefitting from “word of mouth,” as students who come to Penn from international schools tell their younger high school classmates about the positive experience.
He explained that colleges can respond to increases in applications in one of two ways: either allow acceptance rates to drop or expand class size.
Dartmouth College, for example, accepted 60 more people through early decision than last year. But according to The Dartmouth, the decision was partially financially based.
Furda said Penn has no plans to increase class size.
