By Colleen Good

Macalester will see virtually no change in the number of U.S. Early Decision I applicants this year, Lorne Robinson, dean of admissions and financial aid, said. The number this year will stand at around 135, Robinson estimated, compared with 136 last year.While Macalester’s Admissions Office has received 150 U.S. ED I applications, that number, Robinson explained, will likely decrease. He cited the tendency for some applicants to not complete all materials on time, and to sometimes check the wrong box.

Macalester has seen a 79 percent increase in U.S. ED I applications from 1995 to 2007, with 76 U.S. ED I applications in 1995 and 136 in 2007. In 1995, the total number of U.S. and international regular decision applications was 2,880. In 2007, it had gone up to 4,967, a 72.5 percent increase, Robinson said.

While the percentage increase in ED I applications exceeds that of regular decision applications, the number of actual students who applied ED I is relatively small. This year’s first-year class includes 76 students who applied ED I, Robinson said.

The Early Decision II applications are due Jan. 2. The ED II group is typically smaller, and a weaker group academically, Robinson said, resulting in a lower admittance rate.