Vanderbilt University Register: Class of 2005 boasts highest enrollment yield, other records

by Jessica Howard

The Class of 2005 is smaller than in year's past, which, according to University officials, is a healthy sign of a University able to be more selective in the admission process.

"This is, by far, the most competitive year in Vanderbilt's history," said William Shain, dean of undergraduate admissions.

Class Acts

	Class of 2005	Class of 2004
Blair School of Music	52	55
College of Arts and Science	909	979
Peabody College	253	249
School of Engineering	343	360

-- Source: University Registrar

This year, 1,557 freshmen enrolled in the University. According to the "10 -Day Report" issued Sept. 11 by the University Registrar's Office, 86 fewer students enrolled than in 2000. The report details the University's official enrollment figures for the academic year.

Fewer freshmen are on campus this fall due to an 8.4 percent decrease in the rate of admissions, which translates to an all-time low admission rate of 46.4 percent. The decrease was enacted by the Admissions Office to hit the desired planned class size. The previous two entering classes exceeded the University's targeted size.

The past five years have seen the largest numbers of applicants in Vanderbilt's history, with this year's 9,738 applications breaking previous records. This number is a 9.4 percent increase over last year.

Even with the decrease in admissions, the all-important enrollment yield -- the percentage of those applicants who were accepted and actually enrolled -- soared to a record level of 34.4 percent, the highest since 1991. Last year's enrollment yield rate was 33.8 percent, according to the Office of Admissions.

"This is when admissions work is really exciting; Vanderbilt is clearly on a roll," said Shain. "It is a remarkable and appropriate compliment to the institution that our visibility and popularity are growing nationally."

The entering class is also topping the charts based on testing, academic performance and leadership qualities. The Class of 2005 boasts a number of top students: 123 class presidents, 172 first- or second-ranked students and 514 athletic team captains, as well as other appealing characteristics, according to a July 2001 enrollment profile.

The Class of 2005 has the largest number of minorities -- regardless of citizenship -- ever. The freshman class represents the largest number of African-American students (105) and Hispanic students (68) in the University's history. This year, 288 of those enrolled classified themselves as minority. Ninety-two of the 1,557 entering freshmen did not specify race, according to University Registrar Gary Gibson.

The freshman class came from 46 states and the District of Columbia, with Tennessee as the top state followed by Texas, Georgia, Florida, Illinois and a tie between Ohio and Alabama. The class of 2005 represents 44 countries, according to the July 2001 enrollment profile.

The University as a whole boasts robust numbers. The total number of students enrolled in the University has increased from 10,194 in 2000 to 10,496 this year. Retention rates for each of the entering classes over the past three years are higher than the past. The retention rate for the class of 2004 is at a record 94.34 percent.