Application volume comparison for ultra-elites
[#permalink]
31 Dec 2006, 03:33
I thought it would be interesting to see the application volumes reported at admissions411.com for this year as compared to last year. The data at the site is voluntary and so on, to the raw numbers aren't really useful for anything; but I think we might gain some insight by looking at the numbers on a comparative basis.
Ultra elite volume last year (class of '08) for all rounds:
1. Harvard 587
2. Wharton 528
3. Stanford 415
4. Kellogg 401
5. Sloan 294
6. Columbia 268
7. Chicago 235
Ultra elite volume this year (class of '09) all rounds so far:
1. Harvard 401
2. Wharton 322
3. Stanford 283
4. Kellogg 220
5. Chicago 206
6. Columbia 175
7. Sloan 172
I know that the different schools have different deadlines which may prompt reporting at different times, so this snapshot means very little. What jumps out is that there doesn't seem to be much change year over year in the top 3. It does clearly show the intense competition for the few seats at Stanford each year.
I think Chicago has clearly benefited a little from it's new place atop the BW rankings, while Kellogg has lost some ground. It's really surprising to see that Columbia has fallen behind Chicago at this stage, because you would think their early decision would result in more reports early.
Compared with last year, I would say H/S/W are as hard as ever. Chicago maybe a little tougher than last year and Kellogg and Columbia a tiny bit easier. Again, the absolute amounts mean nothing because they most likely reflect the popularity of the admission411 website; but year over year comparisons between the schools have some value I think.