Hamilton's Bicentennial Class, so named because the members of the class of 2012 will graduate in the same year the College celebrates its 200th anniversary, is setting records well before students matriculate in the fall.
Acceptance letters for the class were mailed to 1150 regular decision applicants on Friday, March 28. When combined with the acceptances already offered to applicants through the Early Decision process, Hamilton's current acceptance rate of 27 percent is the lowest in the college's history.
The total number of applications for the class, 5071, also set a record. Students applying for admission to Hamilton increased two percent over a year ago and 19 percent over the total received in 2006.
Hamilton's Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Monica Inzer said the academic quality of the applicant pool is even more impressive than the number of students who sought admission to the College.
"It is both humbling and inspiring to admit Hamilton's future," Inzer said. "The quality of the applicants was better than ever and, no matter how large our applicant pool, it is never easy to turn down qualified candidates."
Inzer said the average SAT for accepted students was 1409 (709 writing), compared to 1401 (700 writing) a year ago. Additionally, 87 percent of the admitted students ranked in the top 10 percent of their high school class, which compares to 84 percent in 2007 and 81 percent in 2006.
Geographically, admitted students reside in 47 states and 38 countries, and underrepresented minorities comprise 23 percent of the students offered admission to the college. An additional six percent are international students.
"Any college in America would be happy to enroll these students," Inzer said. "We are pleased that they are actively considering Hamilton, and we look forward to them joining our community in the fall."
Inzer attributes the increased interest in Hamilton to the College's growing reputation, its open curriculum, more than $100 million in recent and ongoing investments in academic and residential facilities, the work of Hamilton's career center and the success of the College's alumni, and an extraordinary faculty of accomplished and nationally recognized teaching scholars.
"This has been one of the most difficult years in Hamilton admission because we had such a large pool of extremely qualified applicants," Inzer said. "But the process is not over yet. We will be working hard over the next month to answer any remaining questions students have as they make their decisions about where to enroll next year.
Acceptance letters for the class were mailed to 1150 regular decision applicants on Friday, March 28. When combined with the acceptances already offered to applicants through the Early Decision process, Hamilton's current acceptance rate of 27 percent is the lowest in the college's history.
The total number of applications for the class, 5071, also set a record. Students applying for admission to Hamilton increased two percent over a year ago and 19 percent over the total received in 2006.
Hamilton's Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Monica Inzer said the academic quality of the applicant pool is even more impressive than the number of students who sought admission to the College.
"It is both humbling and inspiring to admit Hamilton's future," Inzer said. "The quality of the applicants was better than ever and, no matter how large our applicant pool, it is never easy to turn down qualified candidates."
Inzer said the average SAT for accepted students was 1409 (709 writing), compared to 1401 (700 writing) a year ago. Additionally, 87 percent of the admitted students ranked in the top 10 percent of their high school class, which compares to 84 percent in 2007 and 81 percent in 2006.
Geographically, admitted students reside in 47 states and 38 countries, and underrepresented minorities comprise 23 percent of the students offered admission to the college. An additional six percent are international students.
"Any college in America would be happy to enroll these students," Inzer said. "We are pleased that they are actively considering Hamilton, and we look forward to them joining our community in the fall."
Inzer attributes the increased interest in Hamilton to the College's growing reputation, its open curriculum, more than $100 million in recent and ongoing investments in academic and residential facilities, the work of Hamilton's career center and the success of the College's alumni, and an extraordinary faculty of accomplished and nationally recognized teaching scholars.
"This has been one of the most difficult years in Hamilton admission because we had such a large pool of extremely qualified applicants," Inzer said. "But the process is not over yet. We will be working hard over the next month to answer any remaining questions students have as they make their decisions about where to enroll next year.
