John Harvard awaits prefrosh. Waaaaaait for it...

Apparently, high school students across the globe have decided that Harvard is the place to be for their next four years. According to this Harvard Gazette article, nearly 35,000 students have applied to Harvard in hopes of being selected to the class of 2015. Applications continue to rise and set records; this year’s pool is 15% larger than last years, and 50% larger than what the College received four years ago.

Why are the numbers continuing to rise? The article cites Harvard’s incredible financial aid program, the rapidly expanding School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and increasing use of electronic applications as reasons why Harvard is receiving applications in record numbers.

Applications have increased in numbers from all parts of the United States as well as internationally. Minority applications are also on the rise.

With such a broad range of applicants to choose from, it’s clear that Harvard will always be an interesting and eclectic place to study. Harvard continues to attract the brightest, most ambitious, and most insanely different and interesting people from around the globe. Harvard’s racial, social, economic, and interest diversity makes it a truly stimulating environment. It looks like the class of 2015 will just add to the eclectic mix of people in the student population.

For now, the admissions officers are quite literally up to their ears in work, hunting for the next crop of future freshies. And I’m sure that for the (nearly) 35,000 applicants, March 30th can’t come soon enough.

Decision time: GOGOGO!

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.