Nearly 40,000 apply to College Class of ’21
Applications for admission to Harvard College rose to nearly 40,000 this year, with a record 39,494 students applying, up 1.2 percent from last year. “Interest in Harvard has remained strong even as the number of high school seniors has been leveling off in the U.S. in recent years, part of a long-term plateauing that will include declines in the Northeast and the Mid-West,” said William R. Fitzsimmons, dean of admissions and financial aid. “As most students — about 80 percent — go to college within 200 miles of their homes, outreach that redoubles our efforts close to home and continues our national and international recruitment will be necessary to maintain the excellence of our student body.” Fitzsimmons said, “Three factors stood out this year: Harvard’s innovative and comprehensive financial aid program, new developments in the humanities, such as the theater, dance and media concentration, and another surge in the number of...