This spring, 485 College second years applied for 300 spaces in the Commerce School, representing a 14 percent increase in applications over last year and the largest applicant pool since 1997.
"We're all nervous until we get our acceptances back," said second-year College student Owen Jones, who turned in his application before the deadline last Friday afternoon.
The 485 applicants, up from last year's pool of 428, are 57 people short of the record 542 that applied in 1997.
The Commerce School generally receives between 400 and 450 applications from University students every year.
"I don't think we'll enroll significantly more" students, said Rebecca Leonard, assistant dean for undergraduate student services at the Commerce School. "We simply don't have the faculty or the resources."
Applying to the Commerce school is already a competitive process, according to current Commerce students.
"I felt like my grades were solid, my activities were solid," fourth-year Commerce student Eveline Dominique said. "But it's so competitive I tried to set an option B for myself."
Applicants are judged on their course loads and grades, as well as on extracurricular activities, work experience and two short essays. The average GPA of admitted students in 2000 was a 3.4.
Third-year Commerce student Joy Dolenc said she made sure she had taken all the required courses for the College in case she did not get into the Commerce School.
"I worried a little bit, but I made sure I had backup," she said.
Leonard said students must have a stronger application overall this year in order to gain admission.
"It's going to be more competitive than last year," she said.
Jones was nervous about the application process even before he heard there is a larger number of applicants.
"It's a little frustrating," he said. "We don't know exactly how much our work will actually matter, which courses they care about, which they don't."
Prerequisites to the Commerce School include Introduction to Accounting, Principles of Economics, statistics and calculus.
Second-year College student Debarshi Mandal, who also applied to the Commerce School, said he was not too concerned about the increase in applications.
"I suppose that [the percentage of students admitted] will go down some, but I still think the best candidates will get in," he said.
The admissions office is hoping to put out acceptances by the end of March, according to Leonard.
Jones said he is looking forward to a decision.
"It drastically changes what you're going to be doing for the next two years and potentially your income," he said.
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