Harvard early applications are down 17% from last year amid antisemitism row

• New Harvard admissions data shows early applications have declined by 17% year-on-year.
• The applications were due November 1, before Harvard President Claudine Gay testified in Congress.

High school seniors have made 17% fewer early admission applications to Harvard this year, bringing the level of early interest to a four-year low, according to figures released Thursday.

Overall, 692 from a pool of 7,921 applicants were admitted under the Early Action Program, which accepts applications up to November 1, the university said.

Last year, 9,553 early-action applications were submitted.

The drop in applications comes as Harvard has become embroiled in a national row over how US colleges are handling incidents of antisemitism in the wake of Hamas' October 7 attacks on Israel and Israel's subsequent military action in Gaza.

By the November 1 deadline, Harvard had drawn national criticism for a controversial letter signed by 30 student groups on the campus that claimed Israel was "entirely responsible" for the violence.

In the following weeks, some alumni expressed anger at the university's response to the letter and a rise in antisemitic incidents, with more than 1,600 threatening to stop donations.

While it's unclear how directly the antisemitism row affected prospective students' decision to apply for early admission, a college coaching professional, Aly Beaumont, told CNN that two of her students dropped Harvard as an option after seeing the school's response to events on campus following October 7.

But at UPenn, which has also been in the spotlight over its handling of antisemitism, early applications have increased this year, per The Daily Pennsylvanian.

UPenn's president Elizabeth Magill recently stepped down from her role following her congressional testimony alongside Harvard's President Gay.

The fall in applications could also be related to a return to normalcy following the disruptive years of the pandemic.

This cycle of admissions is the first since the Supreme Court ruled that affirmative action was unconstitutional.

Harvard has accordingly adjusted their admissions process to comply with the law, such as making sure those who read applications do not have details about the race or ethnicity of individuals.

In response, Harvard University administrators said in a statement that the campus would "continue to be a vibrant community whose members come from all walks of life, all over the world."