HYDE PARK — A record number of applications to the University of Chicago means there will be a record number of disappointed college hopefuls when acceptance letters go out on Friday.
The Hyde Park university received the highest number of applicants ever for an incoming undergraduate class — more than 30,000 applied for approximately 1,400 slots.
The higher number of applications means the university will be turning away the largest number of would-be Maroons ever.
The university appears to be moving up the list for many applicants as the students that are accepted and then choose to enroll has been steadily climbing over the past few years. Last year nearly half of admitted students chose to enroll at the university — the so-called "yield" in admissions parlance.
“It’s bit of an art and science you know, the yield is a moving target,” said Jeremy Manier, a spokesman for the university, of predicting the size of the incoming class. “We don’t know precisely how big it will be, but it will be close to 1,400.”
Early applications were also up by nearly 20 percent, with a sharp increase in bids for admission from Chicago residents. In October, the university announced a pledge to make sure any Chicago resident enrolled at the university as an undergraduate would graduate without loans. The $75 application was also waived for city residents
Official numbers on the number of students admitted to the university are expected to be released Friday.
