Stanford Seeks Higher Yield

The number of admitted students who have committed to enroll at Stanford University this fall rose to 69 per cent this year, up from 67 per cent last year. The 69 per cent yield is one of the highest in the University's history.

The yield rates at other selective colleges and universities range from approximately 80 per cent at Harvard to 73 per cent at Yale and 69 per cent at Princeton.

Stanford Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Richard Shaw told a Faculty Senate meeting in April that the two reasons admits cited most often for choosing another school instead of Stanford were tuition costs and geographic location.

Stanford recently introduced a new financial aid policy that is meant to make the University a more attractive choice for students from middle-income families. Families earning under $45,000 per year are no longer expected to contribute to a child's educational costs at Stanford, and families earning $45,000 to $60,000 are asked to contribute a reduced amount.

Stanford also hopes to increase its yield by expanding its Likely Admit Program. This initiative, which was introduced this year, reaches out to exceptional applicants prior to the regular decision mailing date. Selected students receive a letter in January and regular follow-up calls from Stanford faculty. In 2006, Stanford used the Likely Admit program to communicate with 121 applicants it considered likely to be admitted to any school they applied to. Shaw told the Faculty Senate that final yield figures for this group of applicants were not yet available, but that the program appeared to have been effective.

Source: "Admit Yield Increases by 2 Per Cent," by Shirin Sharif - the Stanford Daily, May 30, 2006