BU reports 40 percent more E.D. apps

Boston University received over 40 percent more applications for early decision in 2012 than it did in 2011, BU officials said.

Colin Riley, BU spokesman, said 1,505 people applied for early decision admission to BU for the fall 2013 semester, while only 1,069 applied for early admission for the fall 2012 semester.

“BU admissions professionals have done an outstanding job recruiting,” Riley said. “[There is a] significant increase in students who are expressing an interest to make a commitment by applying early decision to BU. It reflects well on the university and on the admissions professionals who reach across the world.”

The numbers reflect a 40.9 percent increase in early decision applications from 2011 to 2012.

There was a 21.2 percent increased in early decision applications from 2010 to 2011, reflecting an increase from 883 applicants to 1,069 applicants, according to a Dec. 5, 2011 article in The Daily Free Press.

Of the 1,069 early decision applicants in 2011, 505 students were accepted early decision in March 2012 and committed to BU.

“They’ve [BU Admissions has] increased their efforts and during that time, of course, BU has become more competitive,” Riley said.

In October, employers in 20 countries ranked BU students the seventeenth most employable, higher than New York University or Brown University, according to a survey published by The New York Times.

BU joined the American Association of Universities, an invitation-only society of research universities, in November.

Officials at BU extended the early decision application deadline from Nov. 1 to Nov. 5 to accommodate applicants who were affected by Hurricane Sandy.

Riley said BU Admissions has successfully increased awareness of early decision.

“The efforts of the Admissions department to make that opportunity known to students who wish to apply early and are willing to accept a binding commitment [have been successful],” he said.