Undergrad admission is more selective for incoming fall class

By Jacquie Powers

Admission to Cornell for fall 2001 has become even more selective, with an overall undergraduate admit rate of 25.7 percent, the lowest in more than two decades.

"The regular decision process was especially competitive this year," said Doris Davis, associate provost for admissions and enrollment.

The 25.7 percent admit rate compares with 30.6 percent for fall 2000 and 33.8 percent in 1996-97, according to Davis' preliminary Undergraduate Admissions Report.

The university received a total of 21,518 applications for fall 2001. That was 6.5 percent more than last year and 7.9 percent more than two years ago. Of the 21,518, 2,589 were early decision applications. A total of 5,522 applicants were admitted, with 42.6 percent of early decision applicants admitted and only 23.3 percent of regular decision applicants admitted.

The university admitted 660 fewer students than last fall, in an effort to better manage overall enrollment.

"The lower admit rate is a sign of Cornell's increased selectivity and is largely driven by our desire to manage the university's overall enrollment," Davis said. "First, we will be able to house all first-year students on the North Campus and that will help to ensure the success of the new North Campus Residential Initiative. And second, managing our overall enrollment will help Cornell to provide quality services to our undergraduate students."

Admissions aims to enroll an entering class of 3,000, but the yield on acceptances has increased over the past few years and will be difficult to predict this year. A strategic enrollment plan was implemented this year to better manage the university's overall enrollment.

Davis noted that the admitted students are more diverse both racially and geographically. Thirty percent of all admitted students are people of color, including African-Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans and Asian/Asian Americans. African-American admitted students represent 6.2 percent, Hispanic students 6 percent and Asian/Asian-American students 17.5 percent, according to the report.

Total underrepresented minority students, which includes African-American, Hispanic and Native American students, admitted for fall 2001 is 689, or 12.5 percent, compared with 12.4 percent in 2000 and 11.5 percent in 1999.

And while 30.2 percent of admitted students are from New York state, there is significant representation from New England, the mid-Atlantic and the Far West -- 40 percent from those regions. And, Davis said, 7.1 percent are international students.

"It will still be a few weeks before we have demographic information on the Class of 2005, but all indications are that they will be terrific," Davis said.