Emory University’s Atlanta campus received 28,209 applications during the admissions cycle for the Class of 2024, its second highest total number of applicants to date, according to Associate Vice Provost for Undergraduate Enrollment and Dean of Admission John Latting. Emory received its highest number of applicants for the Class of 2023 in 2019, with 30,017 applications.
The Emory College overall admissions rate increased this year to 17.5% from last year’s rate of 15.6%, according to Latting. Emory offered admission to 33% of their Early Decision I applicants and 13% of Early Decision II applicants, the Wheel previously reported.
Oxford College received 15,045 regular decision applications. Over 400 students admitted to the College are first-generation students, according to Latting.
Latting said that the quality of applicants to Emory this year was greater than years past.
“We had more top students to choose from,” Latting said. “Our focus is not on how can we get as many [students] to apply as possible, it’s how can we get really good students to apply.”
Of the admitted class, nearly a quarter are African American, Hispanic, Latinx or Native American, a significant increase from the percentage of students who identified with the same groups in the early decision applicant pool, according to Latting.
“Regular decision tends to attract more underrepresented students, more students with financial needs,” Latting said. “We admit our [early decision] classes knowing it’s not a representative sample of the applicant pool as a whole.”
Latting spoke about the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S. on the college admissions process, saying that there are many issues to contend with beyond standardized test scores. Emory has not yet made a decision about its future application requirements.
“Now that we’ve admitted this class, we’re turning our attention to the next class with an eye to that issue of testing, [but] that’s not the only issue,” Latting said. “[Potential applicants] can’t visit campuses now; a number of schools are going to pass-fail. A lot of things are different.”
Latting said the University hopes to have more details by June of this year.
“We think our requirements are reasonable, but it’s not a normal year,” Latting added. “It’s a little too early to know for sure. June 1 would be a good target to be clear for changes to [admissions] policy.”
Latting added that Emory is prepared to receive a greater number of financial aid applications this year.
“Last year, 54% of students qualified for need-based financial aid,” Latting said. “With the economy where it is, it is quite difficult to predict. Emory is prepared for it to be higher.”
