Brandeis received the largest number of applications in university history this year despite campus-wide fears that the university’s widely publicized financial crisis would have a detrimental effect on applications. The 7,738 applications, up from last year’s 6,815 applications, have also allowed the admissions office to maintain a selective acceptance rate at 33 percent even as the office keeps with its plan announced last year to increase the student population by 400 students by 2014.
“Despite the tough economy and tough headlines Brandeis endured in the last year, potential students and their families recognize the value of the education they can receive here,” University President Jehuda Reinharz wrote in a campus-wide e-mail.
Last year, the university’s acceptance rate was 40 percent with the mean SAT score of 1392. This year, the acceptance rate dropped by 7 percent and the mean SAT score rose to 1400.
Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Jean Eddy said the lowest the university’s acceptance rate has ever been was 32 percent for the class of 2012.
“We want to get back to that,” Eddy said.
International applications increased from 1,211 to 1,599, and applications from students of color increased from 1,706 to 2,111.
Though international applications increased, the admissions rate for international students did not. Last year the number of international students accepted rose by 20 students, in part because admissions for international students is not need-blind. While the same number of international students were accepted this year as last year, the number is still considerably higher than in the past.
“Our hope is to maintain the number of international students that we had last year,” Eddy said. “It’s already high enough. We have no plans to increase that number.”
Eddy told The Hoot in the e-mail that number will probably manifest into 10 to 20 more international students in the class of 2013 who “will bring additional insight about their cultures and customs” to the university.
Applications to the Heller School IBS also increased. Heller saw a 10 percent increase, while IBS reported a 14 percent increase in applicants.
