The number of students applying early to Northwestern increased yet again this year, as the total number of early decision applications received grew 15.2 percent from last year's total, according to a university press release.
The jump — to 2,450 students — came only a year after the number of early decision applicants jumped 26 percent in 2010, the statement said. Likewise, the 30,975 applications for Class of 2015 represented a 12 percent increase from last year.
The 2011 acceptance rate, meanwhile, dropped from five percentage points to 18 percent.
"Northwestern's reputation as a leading research university that emphasizes undergraduate teaching is compelling to both students and their parents," said Michael Mills, associate provost for enrollment, in a release.
The news came little more than a week after the administration unveiled its new strategic plan, which set the general course of the university's social and academic development for the coming years. Sara Anson Vaux, director of the Office of Fellowships, attributes the admissions success to improving academic performance outside of the classroom — such as scholarships and grants — to an "expansion of research and service opportunities," she said, in a release.