Yielding to an invitation
Nearly 81 percent of students admitted to the Class of 2016 have chosen to matriculate at Harvard College. The last time the yield on admitted students reached 80 percent was in 1971 for the Class of 1975. The yield for the Class of 2015 was 75.9 percent. “Three factors combined to increase the yield so significantly: the return of Early Action, the importance of our generous financial aid program in uncertain financial times, and a series of changes enacted over the past decade that greatly enrich the undergraduate experience,” said William R. Fitzsimmons, dean of admissions and financial aid. Harvard reinstituted Early Action this year after a four-year interval, admitting 774 students to the Class of 2016 in December. Students who apply early have a strong interest in Harvard and often do not apply elsewhere. In addition, offering preliminary financial aid awards to students admitted in December gave reassuring news about Harvard’s...