The Number of Applications From Black Students Surges at the Nation’s Leading Universities

Despite a down economy and a shrinking pool of 18-year-olds, many of the nation’s leading universities are reporting a record number of applications for the class of 2015.

Harvard University received nearly 35,000 applications this year. This is up nearly 15 percent from a year ago and more than 50 percent from four years ago. At the University of Pennsylvania, the number of applicants is up 17 percent and, at Dartmouth, applicants increased by 16 percent. Brown, Stanford, and the University of Chicago also posted a significant increase in the number of applications submitted.

While the universities did not report specific numbers for black applicants, it appears that there were substantial gains at many institutions. At Harvard, the admissions office reported that “minority numbers continue to rise.” The University of Chicago reported an increase in the number of applicants from all minority groups.  Dartmouth reported that applications from students of color are up by 17 percent. At Brown, the admissions office stated, “This year’s applicants are the most racially, ethnically, and geographically diverse pool in university history.”

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