Harvard applications drop for second year in a row after turmoil on campus

Harvard admitted 1,937 students for the class, or 3.6 per cent of applicants, and they're comprised of about 53% women and 47% men

By Janet Lorin

Applications to Harvard College dropped 5 per cent from a year ago, a symbolic blow to the school after a period of turmoil that included the resignation of its president and a defeat at the Supreme Court.
 

The school said 54,008 students sought admission for next fall’s freshman class. That marked the second consecutive year that Harvard’s undergraduate applications declined. They’re down from 61,220 two years ago, when numbers soared during the pandemic after colleges scrapped requirements for standardized testing. 

By contrast, rival Yale University reported 57,465 applicants, the largest in the college’s history and 10 per cent more from than the previous year.

Harvard disclosed data in December that showed applications for non-binding early admissions declined 17 per cent. It’s not clear what caused the plunge but it added to concern that Harvard’s reputation was being tarnished by accusations of antisemitism on campus. The school also had to take into consideration the Supreme Court ruling that race couldn’t be a factor in admissions. 

Regular applications for fall 2024 were due Jan. 1. The next day, Harvard President Claudine Gay resigned from her post after she was accused of plagiarism and widely criticized for her testimony about antisemitism at the college at a congressional hearing in December.

Citing the Supreme Court ruling, Harvard said it wouldn’t access self-reported information about the race and ethnicity of applicants this year until the admissions process is over. But the school shared other facts about the class of 2028, which will begin studying in the fall semester at the campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts. 

Harvard admitted 1,937 students for the class, or 3.6 per cent of applicants, and they’re comprised of about 53 per cent women and 47 per cent men. The Mid-Atlantic region accounted for the most students, with 20 per cent of the total. That was down from about 22 per cent a year earlier. In addition, 21 military veterans were admitted.

Students whose family income is $85,000 or less will receive full financial support. The total cost of attendance, including tuition, housing and food, and fees, is scheduled to increase 4.3 per cent to $82,866 for the 2024-2025 academic year for those families not receiving need-based aid. Nearly a quarter of students attend with no parental contribution, the school said. 

The deadline to accept the decision from Harvard, the richest US college, is May 1.