For the first time in Harvard history, more women than men are expected to be part of an incoming first-year class, according to the Office of Admissions.

Despite fears that revised early applications policies of Ivy League schools would hurt the number of students who accepted Harvard’s offers of admission, the College reported yesterday that almost 80 percent of admitted students have made the decision to be members of the Class of 2008.

Admissions yield statistics also indicate that more women than men will matriculate this fall, although the final female-to-male ratio will probably not be available until as late as registration this September.

This historic ratio comes after another first. This year, the College has not only admitted more women, but also more women have accepted the offer of admission. Although the margin was small—three more women than men were accepted—it represented the first time the gender balance favored females at Harvard. (Please see related story at left.)

The current yield is also slightly higher than last year’s 78 percent, even with changes in application procedures. 

Last fall, Harvard reverted its early application policy back to Single-Choice Early Action, a non-binding plan prohibiting applicants from simultaneously applying early to another school. This change caused Early Action application numbers to plummet by almost 50 percent.  

The number of regular decision applications rebounded though, making the overall acceptance rate a competitive 10.3 percent, half a percentage point up from last year,

“What could have happened by having Yale, Harvard and Stanford, all with Early Action Single-Choice, affect each other’s yield negatively didn’t happen, and we’re pleased with that,” Dean of Admissions William R. Fitzsimmons ’67 said.

In the end, Harvard attracted 19,750 applicants this year—an applicant pool second to only that of the Class of 2007.

According to Fitzsimmons, the Office of Admissions did not make any big changes to their recruiting program to ensure this year’s high yield. “People knew that there was more at stake this year than before,” Fitzsimmons said.

“The staff paid particular attention to the April visiting program, which went unusually well,” he added.

Fitzsimmons also cited the new financial aid program as a potential factor that helped increase yield for both female and minority students.

In February, University President Lawrence H. Summers announced a new financial aid plan that frees families with incomes under $40,000 from having to contribute to their child’s tuition, and which also lessens the financial burden on families with incomes between $40,000 and $60,000. 

This new initiative added to this year’s high admissions yield, with the majority of students from families earning under $60,000—almost 84 percent of this pool—planning to matriculate this fall.  

Fitzsimmons also noted that the number of minority students in the Class of 2008 increased this year. Of incoming first-years, 19.7 percent are Asian Americans, compared to 18 percent for the Class of 2007. The number of African-American students also rose by 0.4 percent to 9.2 percent, and the yield for African-American students rose from 66.5 percent to 70 percent. Also on the rise is the number of Latino students, who will make up 8.9 percent of the Class of 2008. Native Americans, whose yield jumped from 60 to 94.4 percent, will constitute 1.1 percent of the first-years.

The Class of 2008 will represent similar demographics to those of preceding classes. There is a slight increase in students hailing from the Midwest and from abroad, while slightly fewer students will come from the East and West coasts.

Prospective social science and humanities concentrators dominate the Class of 2008, with 27 and 25 percent of students, respectively, planning concentrations in those areas. Twenty-two percent of the incoming first-years plan to pursue a concentration in biological sciences. Physical sciences and math each drew 8 percent of the students, while 7 percent indicated an interest in engineering. Computer science concentrators make up 2 percent of the accepted students and 1 percent is still undecided.

While the Class of 2008 admissions program is hardly over—for instance, students are being admitted off the waitlist and some applications are being reviewed—the admissions office has already begun recruiting students for the Class of 2009.

According to Fitzsimmons, over 56,000 letters have been sent to high school students and admissions officers will soon wrap up a tour of 60 cities where they recruited students for the Class of 2009.

He also said the Office of Admissions plans to increase the number of student-led tours and expand programs for group visits to accommodate students and their families who ordinarily wouldn’t have the opportunity to visit Harvard.

Fitzsimmons said the Office of Admissions will hire five students to work during the summer for the financial aid program and around five students to work for the undergraduate minority recruiting program.

“We will be increasing recruiting over the summer both for minority students and for students who would fall under new financial aid initiative,” Fitzsimmons said.    

—Staff writer Bari M. Schwartz can be reached at bschwart@fas.harvard.edu.