Amid turbulence in higher education surrounding cuts to the U.S. Department of Education’s funding, Emory University admitted 4327 students to the Class of 2029 through Regular Decision on March 26. This year, the overall acceptance rate across all admission rounds was 14.95%, a slight increase from last year’s 14.5% rate. 37,855 students applied to Emory this year, almost 3,000 more applicants than last year.
These students join the 995 accepted through Early Decision I (ED1) and 336 accepted through Early Decision II (ED2). The acceptance rate for ED1 was 31%, with 805 students admitted to Emory College of Arts and Sciences (ECAS), 400 students admitted to Oxford College and 210 students admitted to both. The acceptance rate for ED2 was 10% for ECAS and 11% for Oxford College.
Of the 5,658 students Emory accepted across all admissions rounds, 3,621 were admitted to ECAS and 3,142 were admitted to Oxford. The University admitted 1,105 students to both ECAS and Oxford.
This year, applicants were not required to submit standardized test scores, continuing Emory’s test-optional policy for a fifth year. The University has extended the test-optional policy to the Class of 2030.
The Class of 2029 includes students from 48 states, Washington, D.C., five U.S. territories and 68 countries. First-generation students, who will be the first in their families to attend a four-year college or university, comprise 12% of the Class of 2029.
Ishani Gandi, a high school senior from Dallas, was admitted to Oxford College in the Regular Decision round and said she was drawn to Oxford’s close-knit environment and liberal arts curriculum.
“For Oxford, the pros were definitely the small school idea, and the con was just integrating with the rest of Emory after two years,” Gandi said. “That’s a little bit scary.”
Marcus Cho, a high school senior from Honolulu, was also admitted to Oxford in the Regular Decision round and spoke positively about Oxford’s “more intimate” campus.
“That would also help my transition, and then after two years, I’d be more comfortable going to the main campus,” Cho said.
Cho expressed support for the continuation of Emory’s test-optional policy.
“You never know different circumstances that people are going through,” Cho said.
Gandi also praised her experience with the application process.
“I was really excited to do the supplements because they were just out of the box and more niche,” Gandi said. “I thought that was really interesting and fun.”
Cho said that he hopes to get involved at the Goizueta Business School, as well as with intramural sports, Chess Club, investment teams and volunteering.
Gandi cited one of her high school role models, who attends Emory, as the reason she learned about the school and decided to apply, as well as her family in the Atlanta area.
“I’m really excited about the people,” Gandi said. “I haven’t visited yet, but I did hear that everyone there is very community-based, and there’s a lot of different kinds of people there, and it’s a very diverse school.”
