Campus, News

Class of 2016 applications set new record, show rising competition

Boston University Admissions received nearly 44,000 applications for the Class of 2016, breaking the record number of applicants, officials said.

Applications for the Class of 2016 surpassed those for the Class of 2015, which held the previous record, by more than 2,000, according to a Daily Free Press article published in January 2011.

BU received 41,734 applications in 2011 and 38,250 applications the year before, the DFP reported.

Despite an influx in applicants, BU spokesman Colin Riley said Admissions plans to enroll only 3,900 students.

“Over the years, we have incrementally become a stronger and more selective school,” Riley said. “Students from around the world are looking at Boston University . . . It just reinforces the point that the university is moving in the right direction.”

A number of high school seniors said BU’s strong academics, variety in clubs and unique campus prompted them to apply.

“I am very excited to attend a school that provides an education for students from many different cultures and backgrounds,” said Daniel Phillips, a prospective freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences, via email.

“I enjoy meeting different types of people and learning about their lifestyles, and I feel that BU is a microcosm for the globalization I hope to see in the future,” Phillips said.

Maria Paez, who was admitted into the College of Communication, said BU was her first choice.

Despite being undecided, Paez said she believes in BU’s excellence in all subjects.

“I fell in love with it the moment I stepped [onto] campus,” she said via email. “I feel that BU is a university that has a perect balance.”

More students and parents are identifying BU as a good fit for them, Riley said.

Phillips said BU draws applicants because its students seem to have good job prospects after graduation.

“When I researched the university, the main thing that stood out academically was the job opportunities available to BU students and graduates,” Phillips said. “I was convinced that BU would not only prepare me for my future, but accelerate my success and get me involved in internships and other job options.”

Phillips said he feels a growing number of high school students seek to enroll at BU for those reasons.

Carrie Boyd, a who was admitted Early Decision as a CAS freshman, said BU appears to have more information available for high school students than it has in other years. She said she remembers attending a particularly intimidating information session, in which admissions counselors said they select students with a strong grade point average and standardized test scores, as well as several extracurricular activities.

“It scared me so much, and for a while I really didn’t think I was going to get in,” Boyd said via email. “I feel awesome about being accepted, because I know I’m in a pretty elite group.”

Kimberly Zar, another prospective CAS freshman, said she is honored to be accepted into the class of 2016 among so many other applicants.

“It is honestly unbelievable to get accepted out of such a massive amount of applicants,” Zar said. “Truly though, I am just so excited to start experiencing the college life, especially BU’s, and of course the city of Boston.”

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3 Comments

  1. Articles like this one are offensive to “old timer” alums. No wonder no one donates. A stronger school- on what basis? Because of “higher” sat scores, which were substantially re-centered years ago to bring modern students’ weaker scores more in line with those of generations’ past, who had a much better grasp of basic math and “rhetoric” from no-nonsense secondary educations than their modern counterparts.’

  2. Hey old timer, you need to re-read. It says “we have incrementally become a stronger AND more selective school”. It doesn’t say it’s more selective because it is stronger. It just says it’s more selective.

  3. Hey “rocket boy” (I guess “youngsters” become increasingly ruder as well):
    You need to re-read my post, and the article. I ask again- stronger on what basis? The language you cite is not attributed to the author of the article but to BU spokesperson Mr. Riley. The article itself suggests that competition (and selectivity) are the basis for the increased strength.