Though the economic downturn and fears of future terrorist attacks have led to predictions that urban colleges will see fewer applicants this year, Tufts saw an increase in the number of applicants to the first round of early decision.
According to Dean of Admissions David Cuttino, the admissions office has seen an 18 percent jump applications.
And though the travel and airline industries have experienced major drops in business, Tufts has seen a 19 percent increase of campus visitors since Sept. 11. More international students than average have also visited campus this semester.
Newspapers around the country have reported that urban colleges may see fewer applications in the aftermath of Sept. 11. But so far, Tufts has not experienced such a phenomenon. "These trends counter projections made after Sept. 11," Cuttino said.
Though Cuttino said he cannot predict how many regular decision applications admissions will receive, he said the office has seen a 30 percent increase in applications compared to the total number received by this date last year, including early decision applications. The University has already received some regular decision applications, which are due on Jan. 1, 2002.
Some economists have predicted that colleges would see a boom in the number of financial aid applicants this year in light of the economic downturn following Sept. 11. According to Cuttino, however, the percentage of students applying for financial aid so far is similar to last year.
Harvard officials also expressed concerns that they might see a drop in applications because of its urban location, but these have yet to materialize. Bill Fitzsimmons, Harvard's dean of admissions and financial aid, said the university has experienced a less than one percent increase in early decision applicants. Fitzsimmons declined to speculate on regular decision applications.
Provost Sol Gittleman said he was particularly concerned about the effect of the terrorist attacks on admissions at the Fletcher school, since half of the its entering class in 2000 was international.
MIT admissions officers also shared concerns over a drop in international applicants in an Oct. 21 Boston Globe article.
Gittleman questioned whether fewer juniors would travel abroad or apply for fellowships abroad, such as Fulbright awards, after Sept. 11. This fear of travel, he said, may be due to "parental uncertainty" rather than student fears.
As for the recent rise in early decision applications, Gittleman said Tufts hasn't suffered after Sept. 11 in part because of the surrounding area. "Boston is still an attractive place to go to school," he said.
Tom Lehman, a high school senior at Ransom Everglades School in Miami, Fl. said that most students applying to college are not changing their plans because of the terrorist attacks.
"While I would say that my peers and I are conscious of the nationwide feeling of apprehension concerning travel and urban areas, few people I know are truly worried," he said. "I know no one who has changed their choice of college because of these concerns."
