A 'strong pool' of applicants

	Applications to CC are up 10 percent over last year.

A record number of students has applied for admission to CC's Class of 2011, demonstrating the College's broad appeal and rising profile — as well as the increased activity of the admission staff, according to Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Martha C. Merrill '84.

The staff is still reading applications, but Merrill said she is impressed by the strong pool and pleased by the diversity of the students.

"The applicants are talented athletes and artists, aspiring science and social science researchers and linguists," she said. "This generation cares about Darfur and the environment and other issues of social justice. The students we will enroll promise to keep our faculty on their toes and their peers engaged both in and out of the classroom," she said.

"They respect our Honor Code, are impressed with the beauty of our campus, and want to take advantage of our funded internship and study abroad opportunities. Many note our signature interdisciplinary programs and strong faculty as reasons for applying, and most say they were impressed by the warm and engaging community they discovered when visiting campus."

To date, CC has received 4,721 applications for the class. That's a 10 percent increase from last year's 4,278 applications. The previous record for applications was 4,503, set three years ago.

The number of applicants from American students of color is up 22 percent from last year. The increase can be attributed to CC's extensive outreach to underrepresented students through community-based organizations and our partnership program with high schools in New York City and Connecticut, Merrill said.

Applications from Asia (China, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Pakistan, Nepal and Vietnam) also are rising, due in part to the consistent recruitment in recent years by Associate Director of Admission Jessica Dietz, who has traveled to various Asian countries each fall. In addition, the College has seen increases in applications from parts of Africa where Scott Alexander, associate director of admission and coordinator of international admission, has established relations with various high schools.

The College has also seen an increase in applications across the board from all regions of the United States, Merrill said.