Record number of undergraduate applications pour in

Posted March 6, 2007

(Portland, Ore.)— Lewis & Clark College has received a record 5,300 applications for admission, a 14 percent increase over last year and a 28 percent jump from two years ago.

“To judge from the quality and size of the applicant pool, it’s clear that Lewis & Clark is becoming a ‘hot school’ on the national landscape,” President Thomas J. Hochstettler said. “The word about Lewis & Clark is getting out, and people are responding.”

Michael Sexton, dean of undergraduate admissions at Lewis & Clark, said that the application pool reflects an increase in quality as well as quantity. The average SAT score of those accepted under the institution’s non-binding Early Action program rose 20 points over last year, he said.

Many American colleges are experiencing increased applications, Sexton noted, because of the greater ease of applying online and the efficiency of the Common Application. Nevertheless, the rise in applications at Lewis & Clark is well above the norm for other selective private colleges. Sexton cited several likely reasons for the college’s growing popularity, including its Portland location and reputation for academic quality and innovation.

“I think the record applications testifies to the growing demand by students for a challenging liberal arts and sciences education, taught by faculty members who are dedicated to undergraduate teaching,” Sexton said. “We are also benefiting from being in Portland and sharing many of the attributes that have made this city such a destination. There are very few colleges like ours that can lay claim to such a compelling location.”

The application pool also includes about 300 students now attending other colleges who wish to transfer to Lewis & Clark. In total, the college expects to enroll about 500 first-year students and 60 transfers.

Continuing another recent trend at Lewis & Clark, the applicant’s pool reflects both increased ethnic and geographic diversity. There were 24 percent more students of color admitted under the Early Action program this year than last. In addition, applications rose from every region of the U.S., as well as from abroad. The largest increases, according to Sexton, are from Washington, the East Coast, and abroad. Approximately 82 percent of undergraduates currently enrolled at Lewis & Clark are from outside of Oregon.

Located in Portland, Ore., Lewis & Clark is a private institution with a public conscience and international reach, enrolling approximately 1,900 undergraduate students and 1,300 students in graduate professional programs. Our alumni, faculty, and students are recognized as global thinkers and leaders. Our three schools offer undergraduate studies in the liberal arts and sciences and graduate professional programs in education, counseling, and law. For more information, visit www.lclark.edu.

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For more information, please contact:
Vanessa Fawbush
Communications Officer
503-768-7992
fawbush@lclark.edu