For the first time in Harvard history, the number of applicants has exceeded 30,000. This is a 5% increase from last year alone. This increase comes in light of an admissions staff that is 10% smaller than the 2008-2009 school year. To deal with the increase, greater reliance has been placed on technology. The Harvard Gazette reports that, “Documents — such as applications and counselor and teacher reports — are scanned electronically with an imaging system, ensuring easy recovery and making them instantly available to application readers and to admissions committee selection meetings. Improved Web site services for alumni and alumnae enable applicant-interview reports to be submitted electronically and made available immediately as well.”

30,000 is a huge number indeed–but among them there is the future class of 2014. Notification letters are to be mailed on April 1, 2010 with e-mails sent a day later to those who chose that additional form of notification.