By Helen Stevenson
Fordham University received more than 20,900 applications for Early Action/Early Decision admission. This number is the largest applicant pool in university history, surpassing the record-breaking number of 19,859 applicants in 2016 by five percent. The university continued the trend of its previous 27 years of application increase, according to Patricia Peek, dean of undergraduate admissions.
Peek said she expected Fordham’s institution of the exclusive use of the Common Application to affect the increase.
“We expected only a marginal increase this year as we moved to a single application,” said Peek.
However, an upward trend is not unusual, according to Peek. “Nationally, schools are seeing increases in early activity as well, and we are on par with many peer institutions in terms of our increase,” said Peek.
Currently, more than 23,600 students have applied regular decision, a three percent increase in comparison to the same point in time last year. In total, Fordham has received more than 45,800 applications for fall 2018.
This year’s applicants also had higher test scores and are more diverse, according to Peek.
“The quality of the pool both in terms of measures of diversity and academic strength is remarkable,” she said.
This year’s total applicants, as of Jan. 19, had a 3.6 average GPA and an average HI Score (combined total of highest ACT or SAT) of 1338. These statistics are a 19-point increase over 2016 and 2017, which were both at 1319.
Ethnic diversity has expanded among this year’s pool of applicants, with a 10 percent overall increase in students who identify as students of color. Specifically, 14 percent of that pool is international.
“Building upon the growth in the early rounds, 54 percent of the total pool identifies as either international or students of color,” said Peek.
This year’s applicants represent nearly all 50 states and Washington D.C., with only Wyoming lacking representation in the applicant pool for the Class of 2022.
On the international level, applicants hail from more than 80 countries including Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, India and Morocco. More than 2,200 international students have applied thus far, a 15 percent increase from last year.
“The applicant pool is a testament to the strength of Fordham as a global university,” said Peek.
At this point, admitted students for class of 2022 have an average GPA of a 3.76 and a mean HI Score of 1405. Typically, Fordham’s Early Action and Early Decision acceptance rate is higher than the overall admit rate, according to Peek.
“Since the early pool was so talented, that is also the case for this year,” said Dr. Peek. “We project our overall admit rate to land close to 45 percent – after the entire pool has been reviewed.”
Students not accepted during the early application period are deferred as opposed to wait listed. Deferral moves the application to the Regular Admissions pool to be decided no later than April 1st. Of the early pool, 27 percent has been deferred and 11 percent has been denied.
Typically, the yield rate of applicants has been about 11 percent. Peek said that one of the University’s biggest goals is to improve in this area, despite its challenging nature.
“This is very challenging due to the nature of our pool,” said Dr. Peek. “A stronger admit pool means students have many options,” she said.
Peek said that it will be challenging to yield such talented applicants. They will be welcoming the accepted pool to over 500 events throughout the spring.
“The Admission team is excited to be reviewing these candidates in the hope of shaping a vibrant community for the Class of 2022.”
