U. of Chicago Yield Higher Than Expected

Approximately 38 per cent of students offered fall 2006 admission to the University of Chicago have accepted their offers -- leaving the University with about 9 per cent more first-year students than it had planned for.

Dean of College Admissions Ted O'Neill told the campus newspaper that he expects about 75 admits to defer enrollment or withdraw before the fall. Still, he is planning on an incoming class of 1,250 students, 40 more than the 1,210 he and his staff had in mind when they made admissions decisions.

Admissions staff had expected to get enough positive responses from admits to leave spaces for about 30 waitlisted applicants. O'Neill said the admissions committee would have made fewer acceptances if it had known this year's yield would be so high.

O'Neill sees the increased yield as both part of a national trend and as a Chicago-specific phenomenon. “Our image has probably changed from a place that’s more austere to a place where a more balanced social life can be had,” he told the Chicago Maroon. "There are signs that people are happier here."

O'Neill also noted that this was the first year that Chicago posted a website for admitted applicants. The website makes it easier to confirm acceptances and pay deposits, and its message board creates a community of prospective students. “The students themselves persuaded each other that Chicago really was a good place to go to school,” he said.

Source: "Admissions Picks Selective '10 Class," by Andrew Alexander - the Chicago Maroon, May 19, 2006