Statistics for college project 64% admit rate

17 percent of applicants are people of color

The college Admissions office is projecting a 64 percent admit rate for applicants of the class of 2001, one percentage point lower than last year. The early decision applicant numbers were up by 20 applicants while the regular decision numbers were down about four percent from last year at this time. The numbers of applicants were unavailable.

Seventeen percent of the applicants were students of color. Debra Chermonte, director of college admissions, said the configuration of the applicants was different from previous years. African American applicants were up five percent from last year to 245. Native American student applicants were also up, totaling 21 compared to 11 last year.

Asian American and Latino student numbers were down from last year. Last year's figure of 162 Latino applicants was an all-time high, and this years figure of 143 applicants was parallel to previous years, Chermonte said.

Asian American applicants were down to 262 applicants compared to 302 last year. The decline in regular decision applicants was felt mainly in the New England states, Chermonte said.

The Conservatory reported an admit rate of slightly under 30 percent. "We have a good shot of enrolling a reasonable share of these students," Mike Manderen, director of Conservatory admissions said. He said the yield for the Conservatory depends on a number of factors including what other conservatories need and are accepting in any given year. "There are some wonderful students in the group," he said.

The dynamics of accepting students into the Conservatory are different than the College. "In the Conservatory, the faculty are directly involved. They have more intensive and systematic recruitment for students," Manderen said. Auditions, where Conservatory prospects come into direct contact with Conservatory faculty, ended March 8.

"We are pretty close to completing the initial round of admit decisions," Manderen said.

The yield, or the number of students accepted who enroll is expected be good because of a number of factors including an improved financial aid budget, Chermante said. "I feel good about the direction we're headed," Chermonte said. "It is good to be in a position where we're more selective."

"The quality of the applicant group is even better than last year," Chermonte said.

The yield "is not something you can be exact on until everything is done," Chermonte said. Last year, the College yielded 27 percent.

All Roads Lead to Oberlin, a week for prospective students to view the college, begins April 13. The length of All Roads increased from a weekend to a week so that students "can see Oberlin in the manner they want to see Oberlin. They can get the daily rhythm," Chermonte said.

A packet was sent to all admitted students that contained a video entitled "Follow the Morning Star," which gives a history of Oberlin. The packet also contains letters from both the dean of the College and the dean of the Conservatory.