U. experiences 7.3% decline in first-year applications

The University received a total of 32,808 applications for admission into the Class of 2023, indicating a decrease by 2,578 applications — or 7.3 percent — from the Class of 2022 applicant pool, which had a total of 35,386 applicants.

Of these total applicants for the incoming first-year class, 5,335 applied for the University’s single-choice early action program. According to an email from Deputy University Spokesperson Michael Hotchkiss, the early action applicant pool represented 36 different countries and 49 different U.S. states, in addition to Washington, D.C. and the Virgin Islands.

Although this year saw a decrease in the number of total applications, the Class of 2023 applicant pool is still larger than the 31,056 applications to the Class of 2021 by 5.6 percent, giving this year the second highest number of applications in University history.

In an email to The Daily Princetonian, Dean of the College and acting Dean of Admission Jill Dolan noted that the University admissions office is “not at all concerned” by the slight decrease in applications this year.

“This year’s pool is consistent with our application numbers [sic] historical trend and, most importantly, remains incredibly robust,” Dolan wrote.

Dolan also pointed out that the University’s new requirement of a graded high school writing sample could have contributed to the decrease. Although this requirement is meant to make applying more accessible to low-income potential applicants by replacing the required essay score on the SAT or ACT, this requirement is not practiced by any other school in the Ivy League.

In addition, although specific applicant demographics are not made publicly available, Dolan noted that the University’s “international applicant pool is down by about 13 percent from last year.”

“We surmise that this slight decrease is due to the global political situation,” Dolan wrote.

This will be the second consecutive year since the 1990s that the University accepts transfer students. According to their website, the University is particularly seeking out “students from low-income backgrounds, community college students, and U.S. military veterans.”

Transfer applications are due on Fri., March 1.

Last year, the University accepted 1,941 of the 35,370 students who applied to the Class of 2022 — or 5.5 percent — in the most selective admissions process to date.

In December, the University admitted 743 students during the early action admission round, translating to a 13.9 percent admittance rate.