795 Early Action applicants admitted to Class of 2020

Yale College has accepted 795 Early Action applicants for the Class of 2020. Fifty-three percent of the applicants were deferred for reconsideration in the spring, and 29% were denied admission; 1% of the applications received were withdrawn or incomplete.
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Yale College has accepted 795 Early Action applicants for the Class of 2020. Fifty-three percent of the applicants were deferred for reconsideration in the spring, and 29% were denied admission; 1% of the applications received were withdrawn or incomplete.

The pool of Early Action applicants for the Class of 2020 was one of the most diverse that Yale had considered, said Jeremiah Quinlan, dean of undergraduate admissions. “The Admissions Committee was impressed with the strength and diversity of this year’s early applicant pool across every dimension, and we are thrilled to offer early admission to this remarkable first group of students in the Class of 2020.”

Quinlan also noted that the Class of 2020 will be the last class to matriculate at Yale with the current 12 residential colleges. When two new residential colleges open their doors as scheduled in 2017, the undergraduate student body will expand for the first time in a generation, and future classes will increase by roughly 15%. 

Over the past two years, Early Action applications from students who identify as members of underrepresented minority groups have grown nearly 15%, while international applications have risen nearly 12%. High school seniors from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and 88 foreign countries submitted Early Action applications for the Class of 2020.     

Quinlan noted that the Admissions Committee is very deliberate in the Early Action round — only voting to admit those Early Action applicants they were confident would be admitted through the Regular Decision process.

In keeping with a commitment to enrolling students from all socio-economic backgrounds, Yale also offered admission on Dec. 15 to 51 students through the QuestBridge National College Match Program, the highest number of “matches” Yale has made since becoming a QuestBridge partner in 2007, and more than double the number of students matched two years ago in the Class of 2018. QuestBridge is a nonprofit organization that helps identify high-achieving, low-income students and connects them with universities such as Yale that provide generous need-based financial aid. Last year, Yale was matched with 40 students in the College Match Program.

Last spring Yale reported that the university had met all nine commitments it made to the White House in 2014 to increase college opportunity and socio-economic diversity. As one of its commitments, Yale pledged to increase the number of QuestBridge finalists enrolling in the Yale College freshman class by at least 50%. A record 88 members of the class of 2019 are QuestBridge Finalists, an increase of more than 75% compared with the Class of 2017.

“Every year I continue to be amazed with the strength and diversity of the students who choose to apply to Yale through the QuestBridge National College Match Program,” said Quinlan. “It is wonderful to be able to offer these 51 students admission to Yale and a financial aid award that does not require their parents to pay anything toward the entire cost of attendance.” Quinlan reported that his staff is looking forward to reviewing more applications from QuestBridge finalists in the Regular Decision round and believes it is likely that the Class of 2020 will meet or exceed last year’s record number of finalists enrolling as freshmen. Since becoming a QuestBridge partner seven years ago, Yale has offered admission to more than 700 Quest Scholars, and more than 200 Quest Scholars are currently enrolled in Yale College.

Past experience has shown that Early Action applicants and Quest Scholars who are deferred for reconsideration in the coming months have rates of admission similar to those of applicants who apply directly through the Regular Decision program.

Yale expects to make another 1,200 to 1,300 admission offers in the spring, aiming for a freshman class of about 1,360 for enrollment in the fall of 2016. For more than 50 years Yale has admitted students without regard to their ability to pay. The university’s financial aid program provides students with awards that meet 100% of their financial need without requiring students and families to take out loans. The average need-based scholarship for undergraduate students receiving financial aid this academic year is over $43,000.

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