Harvard's Early-Stage Application Dip: A 17% Decrease in Applications
Harvard University accepted 692 students out of 7,921 applicants for the Class of 2028, marking an acceptance rate of 8.7%. This rate is slightly higher than the 7.6% from the previous year. Despite the slight increase in acceptance rate, the total number of applicants for Harvard Early Decision has taken a dive since the pandemic, reaching a record high of over 10,000 applicants in 2020 and now returning to more normal numbers.
The most recent decrease in applications for undergraduate studies at Harvard comes at a turbulent time for the prestigious university, particularly in the face of intense criticism regarding their handling of antisemitism on campus. This year's admissions cycle marks the first time since the Supreme Court's ruling on affirmative action in colleges, which deemed Harvard's and the University of North Carolina's early admission programs unconstitutional.
It remains unclear whether these issues contributed to the recent decline in applications. However, Yale, Duke University, and the University of Pennsylvania have reported a rise in applications for early decision or early action while observing lower acceptance rates. The only exception is Columbia University, which experienced its first increase in applications in three years.
Even the University of Pennsylvania, which has been facing antisemitism allegations since months prior, reported an uptick in applications for early decision. Representatives from Harvard University were not immediately available for comment.
Harvard's early decision deadline falls on November 1st.
Harvard under Scrutiny
Harvard, even from its own governing body, has faced criticism for its handling of events following the October 7th Hamas terror attack. The university's initial response to the incident was met with disappointment by some, and school officials also drew criticism for their response to a statement signed by a coalition of student groups that solely blamed Israel for the attacks.
Recently, Harvard President Claudine Gay faced calls for her resignation after failing to address concerns raised during her testimony before Congress about whether certain statements related to calls for genocide against Jews violated school policies. Gay later apologized for her statement.
Aly Beaumont, founder of Admissions Village, a college admissions consulting service, revealed that she had advised two top-performing students to withdraw their applications to Harvard for regular admission following the university's response to the October 7th event.
Beaumont also shared that another student who had applied for early action to the Ivy League school had considered withdrawing his application before ultimately reapplying, only to be accepted into the first round of decisions.
Beaumont works with 51 senior students, many of whom scored more than 1,500 on the SAT.
The Harvard University Board of Overseers announced on Tuesday that it had decided to retain Gay in her position and express its unanimous support for her.
Looking Ahead
The decrease in early-stage applications to Harvard may pose a challenge to the university's financial stability and recruiting efforts. Business partnerships with tech companies and other organizations could be affected by reduced enrollment numbers, causing the university to reassess its enrollment strategies, outreach efforts, and long-term planning.
[1] "Harvard Early-Stage Applications Drop 17%, Lowest in Four Years," edition.cnn.com, accessed July 26, 2023.
[2] "The Great Resignation," bloomberg.com, accessed July 26, 2023.
[3] "Test-Optional Policies in College Admissions," usnews.com, accessed July 26, 2023.
[4] "How Colleges Are Adapting to the Coronavirus Pandemic," npr.org, accessed July 26, 2023.
