In first year of non-selective admission, significant increase predicted in Wilson School concentrators

In its first year without selective admission, the Wilson School could receive a very large sophomore class and could be unable to cater to the significant increase in students in the department, Wilson School professor Stanley Katz predicted Friday.

According to the results of a sophomore poll to which Katz had access, around 170 sophomores have expressed interest in the Wilson School.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if there was around 150 [students],” Katz said of his expectations this year. He explained that he is concerned with how the department would handle an enrollment class of over 120 students.

Last year, Katz said that he expected between 200 and 250 students to join the Wilson School this year. For the Class of 2014, the Wilson School accepted 90 sophomores of 164 applicants for a 55 percent acceptance rate.

Katz, who was openly against the switch to end selective admissions, explained that under President Shirley Tilghman, the acceptance rate of the Wilson School has already experienced increased enrollments and that, with open admissions, the department would experience drastic changes, which should be a cause for concern.

It is not yet known what impact open enrollment in the Wilson School will have on departments with overlapping curricula. The undergraduate departmental representatives for politics, history and economics declined to comment on the effects that open admissions at the Wilson School may have on their departmental enrollments.

Sophomores pursuing a Bachelor of Arts are required to declare their concentration by Tuesday.

Politics Department Undergraduate Committee member Julian Dean ’13 said he predicts that enrollment in the Wilson School will increase because in the past, when admissions were selective, [the Wilson School] had always turned people away.

However, Dean noted that students may also be influenced by the fact that the allure of the selective nature of the Wilson School no longer exists. He added that he is unsure of how the politics department will be affected by the shift in enrollment policy in the Wilson School.

Benedict Wagstaff ’14, a student in the Wilson School, explained that an increase in enrollment in the Wilson School should not be considered a “failure” but rather a “success” for the department.

“I think the fact that Princeton students want to pursue these goals and opportunities truly resonates with the spirit of what the school strives to be,” Wagstaff said. “Personally, I don’t think anyone should be turned away if that’s really what they want to do.”

Wagstaff said that while he believes that the Wilson School may experience higher enrollment numbers initially, he doesn’t think there will be an overwhelming increase this year. Wagstaff said he believes the school will find a way to handle the larger class size.

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It may mean more professors in the long-term, expanding the curriculum or the evolution of a progressive and diverse task force, Wagstaff said. He explained that a larger class size is “only going to make the school stronger and more interesting to be part of.”

Adam Tcharni ’15, who declared his concentration in the Wilson School last week, said he does not think the department will see a major change in enrollment numbers.

“Once people realize what the requirements are, and people start realizing that it’s not selective but it’s still very demanding, it’s just going to even out,” Tcharni said. “It’s not going to be any more people than it was last year.”

The final enrollment numbers for the Wilson School this year will be released later this week.

Correction: Due to a reporting error, an earlier version of this article made several inaccurate claims about the History department's enrollment and course schedule. There are currently 78 juniors enrolled, and the department has not cancelled any of its junior seminars. Also due to a reporting error, an earlier version of this article incorrectly stated the number of junior economics concentrators. There are 134. The 'Prince' regrets the errors. Due to an editing error, an earlier version of this article misstated the title of Stanley Katz. He is a professor in the Wilson School and the current director of the Center for Arts and Cultural Policy Studies. The 'Prince' regrets the errors.