A record number of Hispanics and a 20-year high for African American enrollment are predicted for the class of 2014. As of the May 1 deadline, 2,211 freshmen deposits have been sent in. Of those 2,211 deposits, 188 or 8.5 percent are Hispanic students and 143 or 6.5 percent are African American students.
But not all the 2,211 students who sent deposits will end up attending. In what is referred to as the “summer melt,” some students who deposited end up enrolling at another university. According to Michael Mills, the Associate Provost for University Enrollment, about 5 percent of students have “melted” in previous years.
The actual proportion of enrolled Hispanic and African American students could end up being higher than the deposit numbers show because underrepresented students “melt” less frequently, Mills said. African American enrollment could reach 7 percent and Hispanic enrollment could reach 9 percent, Mills said.
Students with the best aid packages tend not to “melt,” Mills said. International students made up 157 or 7.1 percent of all deposits but are more likely to “melt” because most of them are paying the full tuition out of pocket and may reconsider the high tuition costs.
The class of 2014 was also strong academically. A record 91.5 percent of incoming students come from the top 10 percent of their high school class. SAT scores were also higher than expected, Mills said.
Overall, Northwestern’s admission rate was 23 percent, lower than last year’s 27 percent. Of those admitted, about 33 percent matriculated –- up from last year’s 31 percent.