Harvard’s early admissions applications have plunged to a four-year low as the elite university continues to face backlash over its administration’s refusal to condemn antisemitism on campus — while its rivals see gains.
The Ivy League school saw a 17% drop in applications from students who applied through early admission, with only 7,921 high school seniors trying to secure their spots, compared to 9,553 who did so last year, according to figures released by the university.
That was the smallest number since the outbreak began, but still exceeded the number of initial applications submitted each year from 2017 to 2019.
Meanwhile, its competitors are seeing an increase in the number of students seeking early admission.
Yale University counted 7,856 applications early this year — a 1.4% increase from last year and the second-highest total in the school’s history, it announced Friday.
Jewish students at Harvard University say they have faced antisemitic attacks since Hamas launched its October 7 attack on Israel. Twitter/@AvivaKlompas
The University of Pennsylvania, which also came under fire after its former president failed to assert that calls for genocide against Jews constituted harassment under its code of conduct, saw 500 more applications than just a year earlier, Bloomberg reported.
Early admission applications are due Nov. 1 — a month before Harvard President Claudine Gay and University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill’s disastrous removal of congressional testimony.
But by then, Harvard had already faced more than three weeks of turmoil after more than 30 student groups signed a letter claiming Israel was “fully responsible” for the October 7 Hamas attack on the Jewish state.
The university also faced criticism as leaders waited to release a statement condemning the attacks and antisemitism on campus, with more than 1,600 alumni threatening to stop donating to the school.
Harvard first faced criticism after more than 30 student groups signed a letter claiming Israel was “solely responsible” for the attack. Harvard College PSC
Things got worse when Gay claimed students had the right to free speech because they called for the genocide of Jews during a pro-Palestinian rally on campus.
Aly Beaumont, owner of college coaching service Admissions Village, said she asked two top students to drop Harvard from their application lists because of its response to antisemitism, she told CNN.
Bob Sweeney, a retired college counselor at Mamaroneck High School, also said incidents of antisemitism may have contributed to the drop in early admissions applications at the school.
More than 1,600 alumni threatened to stop donating to the school because it failed to condemn antisemitism. David McGlynn
“That may be one of several reasons, regarding security concerns on campus,” he told Bloomberg, although he noted: “There may be other factors as well as students becoming more realistic about their expectations and chances of being accepted.”
This year’s early admissions deadline also marks the university’s first since the Supreme Court overturned its affirmative action practice.
It’s unclear what impact the high court’s ruling will have on the number of applicants, but in an announcement Thursday, university officials declined for the first time to include information about the racial and ethnic identities of the 692 students they decided to admit.
They said only students granted early admission, 15.5% came from “first-generation college backgrounds” and nearly 21% received an $85 application fee waiver due to financial hardship.
Additionally, they noted that more than 22% of students live in New England, nearly 2% live in the mid-Atlantic and more than 17% are from western states.
Almost 17% are foreign students.
“We continue to attract applications from a wide variety of high schools and communities around the world,” Harvard Director of Admissions Joy St. John said in a statement.
Things got worse when Gay claimed students had the right to free speech because they called for the genocide of Jews during a pro-Palestinian rally on campus. REUTERS Calls for President Claudine Gay to resign have followed her since her disastrous congressional testimony. David McGlynn
William Fitzsimmons, dean of admissions and financial aid, also said he was excited about the students they accepted.
“It is very gratifying to see that so many of the nation’s and the world’s most outstanding students have been admitted early to the Class of 2028,” he said.
“Their extraordinary talents and many contributions to their community will add significantly to Harvard over the next four years and beyond.”
Students who have received an offer of admission do not have to accept and have until May 1 to make a decision.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
