Harvard College received 17% fewer early admission applications from high school students this year, according to the school's website.
The drop comes after incidents of anti-Semitism on campus in the wake of Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7. Applications were due Nov. 1, before university President Claudine Gay delivered widely derided testimony on anti-Semitism and freedom of speech at a Dec. 5 congressional hearing.
Harvard received 7,921 applications for nonbinding early admission this year, compared to 9,553 last year. By contrast, Ivy League rival Yale University received 7,856 early applications this year, an increase of 1.4% and the second-highest number of early applications in its history, the school reported.
It is the first early enrollment period since the Supreme Court's decision in June to ban race-based admissions in higher education, raising questions about the impact on diversity and enrollment at U.S. colleges.
After the attack by Hamas, which is considered a terrorist group by the U.S. and the European Union, Jewish Harvard students reported incidents of harassment, and Harvard's leaders came under fire from alumni, donors and others for failing to managed to keep them safe.
Anti-Semitic incidents on American college campuses have surged since the attack and Israel's subsequent invasion of Gaza, and the conflict has bitterly divided dozens of campuses, including Harvard.
Bob Sweeney, a retired college counselor at Mamaroneck High School in New York, said the incidents of anti-Semitism may be one factor in the decline in admissions.
“That may be one of the many reasons for the concern about campus safety,” said Sweeney, who has worked as a counselor for nearly three decades. “There may be other factors, but also because students are more realistic about their expectations and opportunities. for acceptance.”
Harvard, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is under investigation by the Department of Education and the House Committee on Education following Gay's testimony.
Harvard announced in March that it would increase its financial aid program again.
The introduction of a new commencement grant will give students receiving full financial aid – those with an annual household income of $85,000 or less – $2,000 in the fall of their freshman year to help with the costs associated with preparing for life after Harvard.
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Published: Dec 20, 2023 12:30 PM IST