The Office of Admissions has sent out their last batch of red folders this week. The 2014 Regular Decision results have been released, finalizing the admissions decisions for the incoming Class of 2018.

According to the Office of Admissions, Dickinson received 406 Early Decision applications, 2,700 Early Action applications and 2,603 Regular Decision applications. Out of these applications, 2,741 were offered a spot in the Class of 2018, creating an acceptance rate of 48.1%. This year’s acceptance rate is an increase from the 39.8% from the Class of 2016 and an increase in Early Decision applicants from the past.

“We were up overall in Early Decision, a clear indication of Dickinson as ‘first choice’ for many students,” said Molly Boegel, associate director of Admissions. “We also continue to notice a slight redistribution of applications from Regular Decision to Early Action, a move that fits with the national trend to ‘apply early.’”

According to the Dickinson website, students were admitted from 46 different U.S. states and 54 foreign countries, an increase compared to the 44 U.S states and 30 foreign countries admitted for the class of 2017. 16.3% of admitted students are students of color, 8.4% are international citizens and 7.4% are legacy connections. For the class of 2017, 17.7% were students of color, 7.5% were international citizens and 7.5% were legacy connections.

“The Class of 2018 is a diverse group with a broad range of interests and proven high academic quality,” said Boegel. “We’ve been especially impressed with their ability to recognize and deeply appreciate the interconnected nature of these interests and their acknowledgement of Dickinson as an ideal community in which to continue that exploration. From green chemistry, to global relief work, from the White House to the Joffrey Ballet, the incoming Class of 2018 brings great curiosity and impressive experience to Dickinson.”

Looking to the future, Boegel points to recent changes to higher education, such as the new Common Application, the new SAT and the changes in applicant pool demographics, as evidence that “the landscape of higher education continues to change.”

The applications and enrollment decisions are becoming increasingly competitive between Dickinson and “its evolving, elite peer group,” said Boegel.

“As that competition increases, Dickinson has placed itself in an enviable position, drawing its applications from a national pool, a fact that continues to distinguish the college from its peers,” added Boegel.