With Midd at five, apps on the rise

Author: Tom Brant

The Office of Admissions has received nearly 7,000 regular decision applications for admission to the class of 2011, a 13 percent increase from last year, according to Dean of Admissions Bob Clagett.Middlebury's early decision applications were also up, by seven percent, in contrast to other New England colleges that saw drops in early decision applications.

While the final numbers for regular decision applications are not yet available at many NESCAC schools, Tufts, Wesleyan, Amherst and Connecticut College all reported drops of seven to 10 percent in the number of early decision applications. Yale saw a 13 percent drop, while Dartmouth's numbers remained about the same.

Clagett, who in November predicted a rise in regular decision applications, said that a higher volume of campus visits this season indicated that numbers would increase.

"As of the end of August, [campus visits] were up 40 percent and I have no reason to believe that we've dropped in the meantime," said Clagett. "I think that had an impact, for sure."

Acompanying the increase in the number of submitted applications was an increase in the caliber of the students who applied. Using its set criteria, the admissions office ranked the strengths and talents of each applicant on a numerical scale.

"It's a significantly stronger applicant pool this year," Clagett said. "We've got a 50 percent increase in the number of applicants who have the top ratings on our scale."

When asked about possible reasons for the increase in both number and quality of applicants, Clagett said, "There are a lot of reasons. I don't know if there's a single most important factor, but the fact that [Middlebury] has become more selective has contributed, and being in the top five in the U.S.News ranking probably helps too."

Middlebury was ranked the fifth best liberal arts college in U.S.News and World Report's annual survey released last fall.

Besides rankings, Clagett cited Middlebury's characteristics as a possible draw for applicants.

"We don't have a label attached to us," he said. "We have a balance that prevents people from being locked into a certain stereotype." Clagett suggested that this balance sets Middlebury apart from otherwise similar liberal arts colleges.

"We are a liberal arts college with a pragmatic twist," he said. "There's an emphasis on language and international study, and those are topics that really resonate with people, especially with everything that's going on in the world right now."

In 2006, Middlebury received 6,204 regular decision applications, up 1,004 from its 2005 figure. Applications for early decision rose earlier this year as well, with the Admissions Office receiving around 700 applicants, up from 645 last year.

The admissions staff, which started sorting through applications last week, will continue to evaluate them for the next two months. After committee meetings in March, the staff will mail out decisions to applicants in early April.