Emory’s acceptance rate fell by 3.3 percent with an increased applicant pool, according to Associate Vice Provost for Undergraduate Enrollment and Dean of Admission John Latting.
The acceptance rate dropped to 18.5 percent this year from 21.8 percent in 2017 and 25.3 percent in 2016, Latting said. The number of applications increased by about 4,000 from 24,114 in 2017 to 27,759 this year, representing a 16 percent increase, according to Latting.
The mean unweighted high school GPA jumped from 3.83 to 3.85, while the median GPA was 3.91. The mean SAT score on the 1600 scale and ACT composite conversion score also saw increases from 1475 to 1480 and 32.3 to 32.7, respectively.
These statistics do not reflect the approximately 400 students that applied solely to Oxford College.
Latting credits a growing awareness of the University in new areas of the country as one of the reasons for the larger applicant pool.
“I think the world is kind of catching up to the reality of Emory, and we’re seeing really strong growth in areas farther afield from campus [like the] Midwest and West Coast,” Latting said.
Latting also believes that Emory’s “progressive campus” played a role in attracting a growing pool of interested candidates.
“The campus climate is a place that has a real tolerance and openness to differences,” Latting said. “Thoughtful high school students are attracted to that … Emory offers a place that will be supportive of them no matter what their identities happen to be.”
For the second consecutive year, the Office of Undergraduate Admission employed a committee-based evaluation method. Using this method, multiple admissions officers review every application, according to the Admission website.
Latting said the process ensures that no “shortcuts” are taken when reviewing applications, and that the office has a good reputation among the college guidance counselor community.
“Emory has a good reputation not only for the education here, but in the admissions process,” Latting said. “We’re regarded as a very fair place that gives students full consideration — there’s no gamesmanship. I think there’s a confidence in our process.”
Admitted applicants hail from 75 countries and all 50 states, according to Latting.
“We really have not just a bigger but a more diverse and stronger pool,” Latting said. “It’s a pool of applicants who have a broader view of their world. They’re thinking about what is going on in their communities and the nation.”
Editor-at-Large | aokluge@emory.edu
Alex Klugerman is a senior from Rockville Maryland in the Goizueta Business School, majoring in Business Administration with concentrations in Marketing, Strategy Management Consulting and Film & Media Management. On the Wheel, he’s previously served as News Editor, Associate Editor and Interim Emory Life Editor. For his coverage of the Migos booking scam, he was selected as a finalist for the Society of Professional Journalist in the Breaking News Reporting category in the 2017 Region 3 Mark of Excellence Awards. He also placed first in the 2017 Georgia College Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest in the category Best News Article Based on Investigative Reporting. Currently, he is involved in the Wheel’s fundraising and planning efforts to commemorate its 100th Anniversary. Outside of the Wheel, Klugerman has interned with CNN in their Mobile + TV Apps product management division and enjoys cycling and travel.
