Competition stiff at UW next fall

SEATTLE – High school seniors hoping to go to the University of Washington next fall faced the toughest competition for admissions in years, as the university accepted 62 percent of the more than 17,719 applicants for the fall freshman class.

Philip Ballinger, UW director of admissions, said the university received 7 percent more applications and accepted fewer students than last year, hoping to enroll a small class.

The university aims for a freshman class of 5,300, but this year’s freshman class was larger than expected at 5,438.

“We weren’t able to admit a lot of really good students, and that’s tough on families, to be sure,” Ballinger said. The university sent letters of acceptance to 11,000 students this spring, 200 fewer than last year. Students have until May 1 to decide which college they will attend.

Colleges around the country, particularly East Coast Ivy League schools, have reported increased competition for admissions this year. Harvard University accepted only 9 percent of its applicant pool while Princeton accepted 9.5 percent.

Both schools, which received more applications from students, said it was the most selective they had ever been. Officials say the increased competition was driven, in part, by more students seeking college spots and students applying at more schools.

Those admitted to UW this year had an average grade-point average of about 3.75 and a math and critical reading standardized test score of 1,251 compared with last year’s admit pool, which had a 3.69 GPA and a 1,231 SAT.

Students in the 2007 freshman class are the first to be eligible for the new “Husky Promise,” which guarantees tuition and fees for the school’s neediest students.

This is the second year that UW has used a holistic approach to review freshman applications, taking into account a student’s course load, extracurricular activities and socio-economic status, in addition to grades and test scores.