For decades, Harvard's applicant pool has been full to overflowing with valedictorians, star musicians and science geniuses.
The admissions office boasts every spring that each first-year class is more talented and more competitive than its predecessors. The Class of 1997 is no exception, sporting sky-high grades and test scores.
Acceptances were even harder to come by this year since Harvard's regular and early applicant pools grew by 6 percent.
The incoming class accepted this week--2,084 of 13,865 applicants, or 15 percent--will also be more racially diverse than recent classes, reversing last year's dip in Black enrollment.
Record acceptance rates were set for some minority groups--Blacks (10.3 percent), Mexican Americans (3.6 percent), Hispanics (3.2 percent), and Native Americans (.9 percent). The admits included 1.7 percent Puerto Ricans and 16.8 percent Asian Americans.
Two hundred and fourteen Black students were admitted this year, up from 172 last year, the lowest number in recent years.
The admissions office recruited heavily for Black members of the Class of 1997, conducting a first-ever second round search of Black students identified by the College Board.
The office also sent letters offering an extended application deadline to some Black applicants.
"We are delighted with such a strong minority presence in the Class of 1997," said Director of Undergraduate Minority Recruiting Roger Banks, in a prepared admissions office statement. "Undergraduate minority recruiters, staff, and alumni worked very hard to achieve these results..."
Almost 44 percent of the admits were women, a minuscule decrease from last year's 44.2 percent.
The number of students eligible for financial aid, approximately 70 percent, will remain the same, according to the admissions office Magaziner said that although it would be "premature" to make any definite statements about these issues in the President's plan, the reform bill will be drafted o deal with such rising costs
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