The University’s admissions were stagnant this spring, in a year when comparable universities saw an increase in selectivity.
About 33 percent of applicants were admitted during the three cycles of GW admission for the Class of 2016, a trend identical to last spring.
The admissions office admitted 7,105 applicants from a pool of 21,700, the University admissions office announced Wednesday.
Last year, the University accepted 7,022 students from the original application pool of about 21,497 – an acceptance rate of 32.6 percent. Thirty-three percent of those students eventually submitted deposits to the University, which was 4 percent lower than the number of deposits for the Class of 2014.
Identical to last year’s goal, the University anticipates a freshman class of 2,350.
Both Boston and Northwestern Universities accepted about 3 percent fewer applicants this year.
GW, BU and Northwestern all saw varying degrees of growth in the number of applicants. GW received 200 more applications this year while BU and Northwestern both saw growth of more than 1,000.
Editor of Inside Higher Ed Scott Jaschik said the dip in selectivity is relatively insignificant.
“These trends are long-term, not short-term,” Jaschik said. “Admitting 1 percent more students just isn’t a big deal – especially if those admitted are equally strong candidates.”
Jaschik also said the schools reporting their numbers now are the ones that have the most flattering percentages.
“If you are a competitive college and you are proud of your admit rate, you issue a press release right away and shout it to the world. And this is the time of year you hear that shouting,” Jaschik said.
Associate Vice President and Dean of Undergraduate Admissions Kathryn Napper declined to comment on the percentage of students accepted, but said in an e-mail that she is excited to see the impact the incoming freshmen would have.
“Each year, our freshmen come with their own set of experiences and world events that shape the personality of the class. I look forward to seeing how the class of 2016 will make their mark on the GW community,” Napper said.
