Admissions season - every college student remembers it with varying degrees of fondness. This year, high school students from across the nation applied to Boston College in unprecedented numbers. This new record trumps that of last year, when applicants vied for positions in the class of 2011. The upward trend that has occurred in the last few years seems to have persisted for the class of 2012.
This year, a record high of over 31,000 BC hopefuls mailed their transcripts, resumes, recommendations, and other paperwork to Devlin Hall. The '07-'08 candidates represented a 5 percent increase from last year's pool of 28,850. While the number of transfer applications has yet to be determined, the admissions office projects receiving between 75 to 100 transfer requests.
BC strives for a freshman class of 2,250, maintaining the relatively static school population of around 9,000 students. Ideally, these 2,250 replace the outgoing senior class. This has led to a drop in the acceptance rate at BC; according to USA Today, BC's acceptance rate hovers around 32 percent. BC was ranked 41st in the nation for selectivity, making BC more selective than schools such as New York University and Colgate University, but was surpassed by Harvard, which admits only 10 percent of its applicant pool, Notre Dame, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
This trend has repeated itself at other colleges and universities, which have seen similar results.
According to an article published in The Hoya, the student newspaper at Georgetown University, the school's admissions office received 18,750 applications - a drastic increase from the 16,163 received last year.
Many may question what effect this new record high of applicants to BC will have on the campus as a whole.
John Mahoney, director of admissions, said that there would be none. Referring to the 2,250 freshman class size that BC strives for, the numbers are anticipated to work out as usual.
BC sends out approximately 8,000 "yeses" to applicants.
So how do these numbers wrap up? The process requires inter-office communication and the right amount of reliance on past figures, Mahoney said.
BC expects a candidate yield of about 30 percent. BC loses accepted applicants to other schools, other interests, and even simply changes of heart.
This percentage out of the 8,000 makes up the incoming freshman class.
If the 2,250 spots have not been claimed by May 1, the deadline for enrollment decision, then the department turns to the waiting list. Depending on how short the projections were determines how far down the list administrators must go.
Future BC students said that they definitely felt the pressure to outperform competitors in the applicant pool.
"I knew I had to do the best I could to get in [to BC]. I joined clubs and teams starting junior year just to give myself a chance," said Annie Finn, an incoming freshman.
Housing accommodations will also be unaffected by the recent flux of applicants.
Forced triples, though seemingly common throughout Upper Campus, are not factored in.
Thus, even with the increase in paper work, forced triples are still a last resort for freshman housing.
Many current students are pleased about the rising numbers.
"I feel proud and privileged to be part of such a selective group," said Julia Juska, LSOE '11.
These sentiments are mirrored in the opinions of other students as well.
"On Admitted Eagle Day, I could hardly believe the number of applicants for the class of 2012.
"With the increasing hopefuls and decreasing acceptance rate, I feel that I am part of a very prestigious institution," said Jennifer Evans, A&S '11.
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