Though applications for the Class of 2012 inched up only one percent this year, Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid William Shain isn't worried.
Shain sees the small increase as a retention of last year's 10.4 percent jump, rather than a sluggish admissions cycle.
"I can't account for [this year's] result," Shain said. "Nor do I have any idea why we shot up 10 percent last year."
This year the College has seen 6,021 applicants in the entire admissions cycle. Last year's total was 5,961.
However, Shain said he would not be satisfied if applications only increased one percent next year.
"If we only went up one percent next year, I'd be disappointed," Shain said. "But I don't think that this year's small increase is an issue."
"I fully expect applications to rise in the next several years," Shain added.
Shain said that Bowdoin's NESCAC rivals saw similar gains.
"My sense is that it is rare this year for a liberal arts college to see an increase of more than two to three percent in U.S. applications," he said.
The Admissions Office mailed Early Decision II decisions on February 5. In this year's early decision cycle (including Early Decision I), 689 students applied to the College and 210 were accepted—an acceptance rate of 30.5 percent. Last year, the College received similar numbers'710 students applied early and 211 were accepted, an early acceptance rate of 29.7 percent.
However, more Mainers and international students were accepted in this year's early admissions cycle, though the increases were modest. Only 14 Maine students were accepted through early decision last year, though 21 were accepted this year. Fourteen international students were also accepted this year through early decision, while only eight were accepted last year.
Although early applications from students of color increased three percent, the College accepted four fewer students of color during this year's cycle: 33, as opposed to last year's 37.
The Admissions Office will mail its regular decision notices in two waves: students who are at the top of the Admission Office's list, as well as certain students of color, will receive acceptances in the second week of March. The rest of the decisions will be mailed in the last week of March.
As it did last year, Admissions is aiming for a class size of 475. However, yield for next year's class may be difficult to predict, largely because of two factors that will work in opposite directions.
Bowdoin's decision to replace student loans with grants this year should increase the number of accepted students who matriculate. However, because several top-tier schools, including Harvard and Princeton, have dropped early admissions practices, there are likely some applicants who have Bowdoin near the bottom of their lists, pulling the College's yield lower. Because this year's yield will be difficult to predict, Shain said that he expects that the waiting list will be more important this year than it has traditionally been.
Despite the modest growth this year, Shain said that he still thinks the applicants this year are especially strong.
"I'm finding that, if anything, this year's pool seems even more talented," Shain said. "I think we're going to end up with a terrific class."