Princeton Offers Admission to 10.9 Percent of Applicants.

(From AScribe)

PRINCETON, N.J. -- Princeton University has offered admission to 1,807 students, or 10.9 percent of the record 16,516 applicants for the class of 2009.

Acceptance letters were mailed March 31 to 1,214 students who applied through the regular decision process. An additional 593 students who applied through early decision were admitted in December. The University expects 1,220 students to enroll in the class of 2009.

The record number of applicants for the incoming class represents a 20.6 percent increase from the 13,695 students who applied for admission to the class of 2008.

"The size and quality of the applicant pool exceeded my expectations this year," said Dean of Admission Janet Lavin Rapelye. "We were able to choose a group of students who have exceptional personal accomplishments, intellectual excellence and leadership skills for the class of 2009. One of the most difficult parts of this job is recognizing that we do not have places for all the qualified candidates."

Of those offered admission through early and regular decision, 54 percent are men and 46 percent are women. Forty-one percent of the admitted students are from minority backgrounds, up from 35 percent a year earlier. Sons and daughters of alumni comprise 9.9 percent of the admitted students.

About 50 percent of those admitted will receive financial aid under Princeton's groundbreaking "no-loan" program. Beginning in the fall of 2001, Princeton eliminated loans for students who qualify for aid, replacing them with grants that do not need to be repaid. The reforms have helped enhance the economic diversity of Princeton's student body, as the percentage of the current freshman class on financial aid has risen to 52 percent from 38 percent the year before the "no-loan" program was instituted.