Almost 35,000 applicants for Harvard College class of 2015

The number of applicants for the College class of 2015 is almost 15 percent higher than last year's.

Harvard College received about 35,000 applications for admission to the class of 2015, according to data released today. This represents a nearly 15 percent increase over the 30,489 applications received last year (when the number of applicants expanded by nearly 5 percent), and a more than 50 percent increase in the past four years.

With a targeted freshman class size of approximately 1,640, it is conceivable that the College’s admissions rate (6.9 percent last year, when 2,110 applicants were offered admission) will decrease to less than 6 percent—a stark indicator of the pressure facing candidates for admission to the most competitive institutions of higher education.

Separately, Stanford reported receiving about 34,200 applications, a 6.8 percent increase from last year, when it admitted 7.3 percent of applicants.

 

You might also like

Harvard President Alan Garber Helps First-Years Move In

As a potential settlement with the Trump administration looms, Garber gets students settled. 

Harvard’s New Online Orientation Emphasizes Intellectual Paths

A summer course for first-years focuses on academic success, diverse viewpoints.

Harvard in the News

University layoffs, professors in court, and a new Law School dean

Most popular

Shakespeare’s Greatest Rival

Without Christopher Marlowe, there might not have been a Bard.

How MAGA Went Mainstream at Harvard

Trump, TikTok, and the pandemic are reshaping Gen Z politics.

How AI Could Be Raising Your Energy Bill

Utilities shift AI infrastructure costs onto consumers.

Explore More From Current Issue

David McCord in suit reading a book at cluttered wooden desk in office filled with framed art and shelves.

The Pump Celebrates Its 85th Birthday

Giving Harvard traditions their due 

People sit in lawn chairs near a rustic barn at Cider Garden in New Salem on a sunny day.

CiderDays Festival Celebrates All Things Apple

Visiting small-batch cideries and orchards in Massachusetts