Harvard University reports that it has received a record 39,044 applications for places in its Class of 2020. The number of applicants is up 4.6 percent from a year ago. Forty years ago in 1976, Harvard received 11,293 applications.
A full quarter of all applicants to Harvard had their application fee waived due to financial hardship. Some 10.6 percent of all applicants are African Americans.
In 2015, Harvard accepted 241 Black students and three quarters of them decided to enroll at Harvard. They make up 10.9 percent of this year’s entering class.
This is great news! However, what I am beginning to find out is that having the Ivy League brand on one’s resume is not the only path to success.
This is excellent news to our Black students, as their representation at a top institution would give all students the exposure to those who don’t look like them.
Everyone benefits from diversity!
This is great but it indicates Blacks and black African-Americans have a little distance yet to go. They will get there. This is good news.