College applications up

Online option attracts 900

In the lastest admissions cycle, college admissions emailed its way to a 9 percent increase in applications received, while the Conservatory matched its all-time record set last year.

The increase is due in part to a new option in the application process.

"This will go down as the year of the electronic application," Director of Admissions Debra Chermonte said.

Indeed, over 900 prospective students logged onto the internet to post electronic applications, taking advantage of the waiver of the application fee. Though applicants still are required to send hard copies of their letters of recommendation and transcripts, the essay and biographical information can all be emailed to the Admissions office.

"One of the reasons institutions are abandoning the fee is it doesn't take as much to process the [electronic] application," Chermonte said.

The 900 virtual applicants were out of a total 3,700 applicants for this admissions cycle. About 18 percent of the applicants are students of color, a statistic larger than those for the past two admissions cycles.

College admissions increased recruitment efforts this year for students of color by creating partnerships with agencies such as INROADS, Boys and Girls clubs and the Harlem Boys Choir, and holding leadership programs of their own encouraging prospective students of color to visit Oberlin.

"We don't know of any other college approaching it quite the same," Chermonte said.

Native-American applicants are up 28 percent with 23 students, followed by African-American applicants with a 27 percent increase since last year. Applications from Latino students are also up by 9 percent. Asian-American applicant numbers were down 6 percent; however, Chermonte added, that only totaled 14 fewer applications for the year.

The school also saw one of the largest pools of international students' applications with 360 "truly" international students by citizenship, and another 40 with American citizenship who are living abroad.

An interesting aspect of this admissions cycle is that need-sensitivity will play a larger role in student admissions than it has in the past. Both the college and the Conservatory will decrease merit-based aid in an attempt to front the growing strains on financial aid budgets.

In the Conservatory, this admissions cycle seemingly could not be better.

"We are quite flush with applicants, nicely spread across all areas," Director of Conservatory Admissions Mike Manderin said. "There are always gaps in some areas and bulges in others. I could use a harpsichord major."

The recent announcement that Professor of Viola Performance Jeffrey Irvine will be resigning, however, has Manderin concerned about the yield of viola applicants. In addition to Irvine leaving, the other Professor of Viola, Roland Vamos, will be on leave at least part of next year. Viola applicants will undoubtedly be paying close attention to that situation.

"It confounds the decision in viola applicants' minds," Manderin said. "There is a steady-state issue in that we are sensitive to faculty coming and going because we are more heavily reliant on full-time teachers."

In addition to the potential disturbance in viola applicant yield, trombone applicants will be watching to see who replaces Visiting Professor of Trombone Milton Stevens, who is also leaving this year.

All these fluctuations in faculty may have an effect on Conservatory applicant yield. Manderin added, however, "If it does [have an effect] or if it doesn't will have everything to do with the timing of the announcements."

The Conservatory is currently resisting the trend to an electronic application medium as well as the waiver of the application fee. Manderin sited the labor intensive audition process as being the defining feature of the Conservatory application.

"I will resist that at the Conservatory to my dying breath," Manderin said.

The Conservatory has, however, joined efforts with eight premier music institutions: Julliard, Curtis, Boston Conservatory, Manhattan School of Music, Mannus University, New England Conservatory and the San Francisco Conservatory with a common application to be available in hard copy and down-loadable. This Unified Application for Conservatory Admissions will increase applicant overlap even more with these institutions.

"We're obviously excited about that. It signifies the increased standing Oberlin Conservatory has that it would be considered as an anchor institution in the start of this," Manderin said.

Both the college and the Conservatory will look to reduce class size this year. The college hopes to enroll 595 first-years and 50 transfer students while the Con "is looking for 135 bodies," either first-year, transfer or graduate student.