"I think it was the best yield we've had," Laskaris said.
The enrollment number may fluctuate between now and the Fall, according to Laskaris. Typically, the size of the incoming class decreases by between 50 and 60 students as high school graduates decide to take gap years or enroll elsewhere, she said.
The active wait list for the Class of 2014 includes 1,100 students, the College's largest active wait list to date, which marks an increase of 200 students over last year, according to Laskaris. Because of this year's unusually high yield, any wait list activity will be very limited, Laskaris said.
"[Wait list admissions] really will depend on what other kind of wait list activity will be taking place around our peer schools," she said. "That might impact our thinking on whether or not we may admit additional students."
The administration could use the wait list to increase next year's class size, because a larger class size may generate additional revenue for the College, Laskaris said in a previous interview with The Dartmouth. The final decision on whether to increase class size is still pending.
"We would use the wait list to add additional students, but because our yield was so strong we're not so sure about that right now," Laskaris said.
Administrators will wait to determine the final class size until information regarding gap year students and those choosing to attend other institutions becomes available, Laskaris said.
Colleges nationwide have increased their wait lists this year, partly in response to lower admission rates and a rise in the number of students who submit acceptance deposits at multiple schools, The Daily Beast reported on May 1.
The number of high school seniors opting to take a gap year may decrease this year, because Dartmouth is changing its financial aid policy beginning with the Class of 2015, according to Laskaris. According to the new policy, students with family incomes over $75,000 will take out loans between $2,500 and $5,500 for each academic year. The change is a deviation from the College's previous "no-loan" policy that was announced in February as part of the College's plan to cut $50 million from the next fiscal year's budget.
"For some families, that may be a significant enough reason to say, Let's not think about a gap year and just start,'" Laskaris said.
The College's competitive financial aid program, the Dimensions of Dartmouth program and the Admissions Office's communication with admitted students were all likely factors in this year's large yield, Laskaris said. In April, a record number of visitors attended Dimensions, she added.
"There was a tremendous response to the Dimensions at Dartmouth program," Laskaris said. "There were a lot of students very excited about Dartmouth after Dimensions."
This year the Admissions Office also launched "Web Guides," a program that links current Dartmouth students with high school students over the Internet, according to Laskaris.
"[The guides] did a ton of work on Facebook, video chats, blogs reaching out to all admitted students," Laskaris said. "We did a terrific job in just communicating with students and being responsive to their questions."
As it stands, the Class of 2014 consists of 51 percent men and 49 percent women. The students represent 49 of the 50 states, with the exception of North Dakota. Nineteen percent are from New England, 27 percent from the mid-Atlantic states, 10 percent from the Midwest, 15 percent from the South and 20 percent from the West. Eight percent are international students.
This year saw an increase in the number of students from the Western and mid-Atlantic regions, according to Laskaris.
Of students who attend schools that provide class rank information, 91 percent of students were in the top 10 percent of their class, and 37 percent are valedictorians, up from 34 percent for the Class of 2013.
Almost 36 percent of the current Class of 2014 are students of color, down from 39 percent last year, and 10 percent are first-generation college students, a decrease from 14 percent in the Class of 2013. Thirteen percent are children of alumni, Laskaris said.
Forty-six percent of incoming students will receive financial aid, with an average scholarship of $34,565, representing a decrease from the Class of 2013's average scholarship of $36,000, according to Laskaris. She added that these figures are likely to change before the Fall, once the financial aid office receives 2009 tax returns from families.
