Acceptance letters go out to Class of 2007

Of the 15,153 applications, 15 percent, or 2,258, were accepted to the first class admitted under Brown's need-blind policy.

by Kristen Cole

With blinders on to the financial needs of applicants, admission officers this year read 15,153 bids from those wanting to be in Brown’s Class of 2007 and sent acceptance letters to 2,258.

One thousand seven hundred sixty-five students will open packages postmarked April 2 from Brown University’s Office of Undergraduate Admission that provide welcome news. Another 493 early decision candidates received acceptance letters months ago.

Now those applicants must decide by May 1 whether or not to enroll. About 1,400 of the accepted students are expected to matriculate – the first class accepted in a need-blind manner and a smaller class than last year.

The need-blind status affected the consideration of 5 to 10 percent of applications reviewed during the second round, according to Michael Goldberger, director of admissions.

“It allowed us to pick the young men and women who we felt were the very best matches for Brown,” he said. “The morale of the admission staff was great and we think we’ll be able to bring some great kids to Brown because of this change.”

This year, a greater number of students of color and students applying for financial aid applied to the University – increases that had been expected as a result of the switch to need-blind admission, but also a change that may be related to the economy, Goldberger said.

The overall admit rate to the Class of 2007 is 15 percent, more selective than last year’s 16.7 percent. Brown made some 200 fewer offers of admission this year to avoid over-enrollment, said Goldberger. The admit rate for the early-decision applications was 26 percent – the same as last year.

As has been the trend in recent years, more women than men were accepted. Females make up 53 percent, or 1,204 of the students accepted; and men, 47 percent, or 1,054 students. The greater percentage of females reflects the greater number who applied.

Ninety-one percent of accepted students are in the top 10 percent of their graduating class. Of those, 30 percent are valedictorians and 29 percent are salutatorians. However, 45 percent of those students accepted to the class attend high schools that do not rank students.

Fifty-four percent of the students in the accepted class attend public schools; 35 percent attend private schools; 7 percent, parochial schools; and the remaining percentage have other educational arrangements.

The accepted class expressed interest in a variety of academic areas: 38 percent in the math and sciences; 22 percent, the humanities; 21 percent, the social sciences; 11 percent engineering; and 8 percent, undecided.

Sixty-two percent expressed interest in obtaining a bachelor of arts degree and 29 percent, a bachelor of science degree. Five percent were accepted to Brown’s Program in Liberal Medical Education, a unique opportunity to combine undergraduate and professional studies in medicine in an eight-year continuum.

Minorities make up 35 percent of the accepted class. As in the past few years, Asian Americans continue to make up the largest ethnic group of those accepted, at 16 percent; followed by African Americans, 10 percent; Latino Americans, 9 percent; and Native Americans, less than 1 percent. Sixteen percent did not categorize their ethnicity.

Eleven percent of those accepted this year hail from countries other than the United States. Fifty-five countries are represented in the accepted class – the same number as last year.

Ninety-one members of the accepted class are Rhode Island residents. That number represents 4 percent of the accepted class, the same figure as last year.

The two states with the largest student representations are California, with 13 percent, or 289 members of the accepted class, and New York, with 12 percent, or 278 members of the accepted class.

Like last year, children of alumni make up 7 percent of the accepted class.

(These figures were submitted Monday, March 31, and may have changed slightly before the letters were mailed.)