Over the years, the admissions department has seen a substantial increase in applications. This year was no different, as applications for the class of 2012 reached the 1600 mark.
Director of Admissions Mr. Diffley said, “This year, admissions saw close to 1,600 applications, from 43 states within the U.S and 41 different countries.”
As the large number of applicants shows, it was a truly competitive year. Mr. Diffley says, “Our acceptance rate this year was under 25%, and it has been our lowest yet. Over the years, it has gotten more competitive- it’s not been dramatic in the last few years- we’ve been around in the high 20s range, but now we are down to 24.”
Each year, the applicants seem to be brighter and brighter. Mr. Diffley mentioned in a school meeting, “…of all the people who were admitted, the average GPA was 3.94. The people waitlisted had a GPA of 3.8, and the rejected had an average of around 3.5. Grades are not the only thing we look at, either… it’s just one of the factors. It just happened to be higher than it’s ever been.”
Many of the students admitted to Choate were also admitted at certain peer schools and thus may end up going to other prestigious prep schools.
Hunter, who is from Florida, came to revisit Choate after being admitted to Exeter, Andover and Lawrenceville. When asked about his decision, he said, “I haven’t been to any other schools yet, but I like Choate so far.”
Diversity was another plus in this year’s applicant pool. Applicants hailed from over 41 states and countries. Choate’s emphasis on diversity was evident from the get go, as Admissions Officers visited many different states and countries to recruit applicants.
Last year, the admissions officers went to mainland China to hold an information session for the prospective students. Mr. Diffley says, “Although it’s too early to tell, we’ve already got a number of students from mainland China enroll. I think it has to do with our visit there, and efforts to recruit students from mainland.”
The diversity of the accepted applicants certainly took many current Choaties by surprise. Ayaka Okawa ’10 was surprised to see another Ayaka coming to Choate. “My name is not overly common in Japan…I can’t believe that there’s going to be another Ayaka at Choate next year! That’s so mind-boggling.”
Many students from China were admitted, and some made the long trip to come to Choate to visit Choate. Tiffany, who is from Beijing, came to the U.S just so she could come to Choate and Taft for second visits. She was very impressed with Choate and said, “My alumni interviewer in China simply loved Choate—and I can see why. It’s really pretty and I like the classes, too.”
Choate also saw many siblings of current Choate students apply. Alex Bakes, Chris Bakes ’10’s brother, came to visit the school during second visits. An accomplished break-dancer and a top scholar, Alex enjoyed going to classes with his brother. “I’m still deciding between Exeter and Choate, but I definitely think Choate’s a top choice.”
Through yet another year of highly competitive admissions, Choate has welcomed many talented students with many diverse interests. These accomplished scholars have many great achievements under their belts—from athletics to music to art. The Admissions Office expects Choate’s incoming class to be one of the brightest yet.
