Princeton University has offered admission to 593 students from a pool of 2,039 high school seniors who applied through early decision for the class of 2009.
Notification letters were mailed to students on Dec. 10. The number of early applicants increased by 12 percent this year following the introduction of new Web-based application forms.
"I am delighted with the intellectual curiosity of the admitted students," said Dean of Admission Janet Rapelye. "Each student's academic accomplishments and personal achievements are outstanding examples of excellence."
The early decision candidates are expected to comprise 49 percent of the class of 2009, the same percentage as the previous year.
Fifty-five percent of the admitted students are men, and 45 percent are women. Twenty-three percent are students of color, up from 18 percent last year. Nine percent are international students. U.S. students represent 43 states and the District of Columbia.
Average SAT I scores of the admitted group were 730 verbal and 730 math. Of those ranked, 94 percent are in the top 10 percent of their high school class.
The University offers prospective students who have made Princeton their first choice the opportunity to apply through binding early decision, which requires that students not apply elsewhere and, if they are admitted, they agree to matriculate. Deferred candidates will be reconsidered with the regular decision applicants. Regular decision applicants, who had to apply by Jan. 2, will be notified of admission in early April.
The Office of Admission offered prospective students for the class of 2009 three new options for applying to the University: online and paper versions of the Common Application, a standardized form used by colleges and universities across the nation, and the online Princeton form. About 25 percent of the early decision applicants used the online and paper versions of the Common Application.