Record applications to Harvard College
Nearly 35,000 students have applied for admission to Harvard College’s Class of 2015 for entry in August, an increase of nearly 15 percent over last year’s record 30,489, and of more than 50 percent since 22,955 applied four years ago. Over this period, Harvard has significantly enhanced its need-based financial aid program to ensure that talented students from low- and middle-income backgrounds will find Harvard affordable and accessible. Harvard College’s financial aid program requires no contribution from families with annual incomes below $60,000, and asks, on average, no more than 10 percent of income from families with typical assets who make up to $180,000. Currently, 70 percent of students receive some form of financial aid. The worldwide economic downturn of the past three years seems to have been a major factor in spurring increases in applications at Harvard and peer institutions. “As we have witnessed during previous periods of economic uncertainty, students and...