Applicants undeterred by changes

As colder weather and falling leaves mark the changing of autumn into winter on campus, they also herald the annual slew of applications to the University from high school students throughout the United States and the world.

Clutching a plastic U-Store shopping bag, Zoe Silverman, a prospective applicant to the Class of 2009 from Los Angeles, emerged from the University admissions office on Monday, enthused about her visit.

"It's one of the most beautiful campuses!" she said.

Kalistyn Lemke, of Salinas, Calif., was just as keen on the University after taking an Orange Key campus tour.

"All the history is pretty exciting . . . [the campus] is gorgeous!" she said.

The University attracts many applicants like Silverman and Lemke because of its academic reputation and its beautiful campus.

"I mean, it's a great school," Lemke said.

Anna Phillips, a prospective student from Pennsylvania, also said she was impressed with the University's strong academic curriculum — especially the Creative Writing Program.

She cited Princeton's ability to attract distinguished faculty members, such as Toni Morrison and Joyce Carol Oates, as a motivation for applying.

"I don't necessarily need to take a class with these [professors] . . . but if [they] are drawn to the school, there is more of a culture that is focused on creative writing," Phillips said. "I think schools without this [focus] are more likely to sweep the arts aside."

Dean of Admission Janet Rapelye said she felt it was a combination of factors that attract students to apply.

"I think it's Princeton's curriculum. I think it's the faculty, the quality of the undergraduate experience and the resources available here," she said.

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However, despite these attractions, applicants for next year's freshman class still have some reservations about applying to the University.

One of Phillips' biggest concerns is the popularity of the eating clubs and their impact on college life.

"I've been told in the past that the eating clubs have been extremely exclusive," she said.

Lemke cited the competitive nature of the admissions process as a source of possible anxiety.

"The low admit rate is kind of a concern," she said.

According to University admissions figures, approximately 13 percent of the 13,695 applicants to the Class of 2008 were accepted.

Rapelye said these numbers should not be used as an indication of admission rates for the Class of 2009.

"It's impossible to know right now," she said. "[The admit rate] completely depends on the size of the applicant pool."

These prospective students are applying during the transition to a new grading policy.

Princeton's new policy to limit A grades did not seem to be a concern for most applicants, many of whom were unaware of the University's recent response to grade inflation.

Silverman had heard about the grading initiative and appeared uneasy about its implications.

"I know schools have problems with [grade inflation]," she said, "but to have a certain percentage of kids getting A's . . . I wasn't terribly impressed."

Rapelye said she did not know what impact the policy would have on prospective applicants.

"As in any part of the admissions process, it's very hard to measure the effect of one influence . . . My hope is that it makes people examine more the quality of our education here," she said.