William and Mary logs second record year for applicants
The numbers are in—and almost all of them are higher than last year.
The undergraduate admission staff at the College of William and Mary has received a record number of applications for admission for the second year in a row. Henry Broaddus, dean of admission, said the 10,828 applicants for places among the class of 2011 represents “a new high-water mark in raw numbers.” This year’s applicant pool is about one percent more than last year’s total of 10,727—itself a record number.
“It gives us some pride to learn, yet again, that record numbers want to join us at William and Mary,” said President Gene Nichol. “I’ve received no better news since coming to the College than learning the attainments and ambitions of the Class of 2010. We know their successors will be equally inspiring.”
An examination of the raw admission numbers showed increases in every major area except for the number of out-of-state applicants, which at 6,497 was down slightly from the 6,741 non-Virginians in last year’s pool. The pool showed increases in the numbers of in-state applicants (4,331 this year, compared to 3,986 in the previous year); men (3,908/3,813); and women (6,920/6,914). In addition, the applicant pool showed an increase in students of color (African-American, Asian, Latino/Hispanic, Native American). This year, 2,179 students of color applied for admission to William and Mary, compared to 2,076 last year.
“The most important measure of success is the quality of the class, of course,” Broaddus said. “But a larger pool helps us reach our goal to enroll the brightest, most accomplished and most diverse class possible.” He said the quality of the applicant pool will become apparent in the coming weeks as the staff continues to read and review each of the 10,828 applications in order to make a decision on which students will receive an offer of admission. Offers of admission will go out by April 1.
