{"id":218664,"date":"2010-01-14T16:00:19","date_gmt":"2010-01-14T21:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/?p=34800"},"modified":"2010-01-14T16:00:19","modified_gmt":"2010-01-14T21:00:19","slug":"a-first-for-harvard","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/218664","title":{"rendered":"A first for Harvard"},"content":{"rendered":"

For the first time in Harvard\u2019s history, more than 30,000 students have applied for undergraduate admission.\u00a0 Applications have doubled since 1994, and about half of the increase has come since the University implemented a series of financial aid initiatives over the past five years to ensure that a Harvard College education remains accessible and affordable to talented students from all economic backgrounds.<\/p>\n

Two other factors also may have played a role in reaching this historic number.\u00a0 Three years ago, Harvard eliminated its early admission program, leveling the playing field for financial aid applicants and providing more time each fall to recruit students.\u00a0 At the same time, Harvard established the new School of Engineering and Applied Sciences<\/a>, which, under the leadership of Dean Cherry Murray<\/a>, is increasing the visibility of Harvard\u2019s excellence in this area.\u00a0 Applications from students interested in engineering have risen considerably more than applications as a whole.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe continuing economic uncertainty, with its accompanying high unemployment and underemployment, has made affordability a crucial consideration for an unprecedented number of families,\u201d said William R. Fitzsimmons, dean of admissions and financial aid.\u00a0 \u201cThe unwavering commitment of President Drew Faust, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Michael Smith<\/a>, and Dean of the College Evelynn Hammonds<\/a> to ensure that Harvard remains open to talented students from across the economic spectrum sends a powerful message to those aspiring to higher education,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Harvard College\u2019s financial aid program requires no contribution from families with annual incomes below $60,000, and about 10 percent of income from families with typical assets who make up to $180,000. The program eliminates loan requirements for all financial aid recipients.\u00a0 Currently, 70 percent of students receive some form of financial aid.<\/p>\n

Precise figures on the number of applicants are not yet available, since applications are still being processed.\u00a0 The final total will likely be about 5 percent ahead of last year\u2019s 29,114, or about 30,500.<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s results were achieved in the context of economic constraints that ultimately led to considerable change and innovation.\u00a0 Like much of Harvard, the Admissions and Financial Aid Office<\/a> was operating with fewer resources, after trimming its unrestricted operating budget by 15 percent.\u00a0 \u201cFaced with this challenge, our staff worked together to develop new ways of addressing our most important priorities,\u201d said Fitzsimmons. \u201cThe changes we have made will make us more effective now and in the future at reaching out to the nation\u2019s and the world\u2019s best students.\u201d<\/p>\n

With a staff that is 10 percent\u00a0 smaller, a travel budget reduced by half, and the replacement of several much larger publications with a single eight-page brochure, the office has made sweeping advances in its use of electronic communications.\u00a0 The Web site, message boards, e-mail, and Internet conferencing outreach by staff have been greatly enhanced.\u00a0 In addition, alumni and alumnae redoubled their efforts to contact students and schools in their local areas.\u00a0 \u201cWe are extremely grateful to our alumni and alumnae for taking on a greater role in visiting schools, attending college nights, and talking with students and families,\u201d said Marlyn E. McGrath, director of admissions.\u00a0 \u201cOf course they will also interview a record number of candidates this year, providing assistance in our decision-making process and building relationships with admitted candidates that can lead to their matriculation here,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The Admissions Office relied on its nearly 20-year-old joint-travel program with Duke University, Georgetown University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University to visit with prospective students, their parents, and guidance counselors in 120 cities.\u00a0 A similar program continued in 20 cities, teaming with Princeton University and the University of Virginia.\u00a0 The Admissions Office maintained its full support of the Undergraduate Minority Recruiting Program and the Harvard Financial Aid Initiative, student organizations that aid recruitment throughout the year.<\/p>\n

The office also is using new technologies and operating procedures to handle the processing and evaluation of the record number of applicants.\u00a0 Documents \u2014 such as applications and counselor and teacher reports \u2014 are scanned electronically with an imaging system, ensuring easy recovery and making them instantly available to application readers and to admissions committee selection meetings.\u00a0 Improved Web site services for alumni and alumnae enable applicant-interview reports to be submitted electronically and made available immediately as well.<\/p>\n

Similar administrative and technological advancements make it possible for financial aid officers to serve the larger number of students now receiving assistance at Harvard.\u00a0 Only a few years ago, about 3,000 of Harvard\u2019s 6,600 undergraduates were on scholarship, compared with 4,000 now, including 63 percent of freshmen.\u00a0 \u201cBetter technological resources allow our financial aid officers more time to counsel and advise students and their families with the personal attention and care they need,\u201d said Sarah C. Donahue, director of financial aid.\u00a0 \u201cEach student on financial aid has a financial aid officer to contact with questions or concerns.\u201d<\/p>\n

Beyond the increase in numbers noted earlier, there are relatively few differences in the composition of this year\u2019s applicant pool compared with last year\u2019s. The gender breakdown remains about 50\/50, and minority numbers are much the same (though still incomplete because some coding takes place during the reading process). Major academic preferences mirror last year\u2019s, except for the larger increase in engineering, as well as associated increases in the physical sciences and computer science.\u00a0 The geographical distribution is close to last year\u2019s, with larger-than-average increases in the western United States and abroad.<\/p>\n

Admissions officers are now reading applications in preparation for selection meetings, the careful, individualized process that begins on Jan. 30 and concludes March 20.\u00a0 Notification letters to all applicants will be mailed on April 1, and e-mails will be sent later that day to those \u2014 usually about 95 percent \u2014 who request that additional notification.<\/p>\n

\u201cA visiting program for admitted students is scheduled for April 24 through 26,\u201d said Valerie Beilenson, program director. Admitted students have until May 1 to make their final college selections.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For the first time in Harvard\u2019s history, more than 30,000 students have applied for undergraduate admission.\u00a0 Applications have doubled since 1994, and about half of the increase has come since the University implemented a series of financial aid initiatives over the past five years to ensure that a Harvard College education remains accessible and affordable […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4175,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-218664","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/218664","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4175"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=218664"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/218664\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=218664"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=218664"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=218664"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}