Harvard applications down after Claudine Gay scandal, pervasive campus anti-Semitism

The number of applications to Harvard College dropped this year while other elite institutions saw a rise in applications.

According to the New York Times, Harvard made the announcement about its application decrease on March 28. Harvard received a total of 54,008 undergraduate applications for this admissions cycle, and 56,937 during last year’s admissions cycle, which is a drop of nearly 5%, according to the report.

While Harvard as well as Brown University saw a decrease in applications, other institutions such as M.I.T., the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University, Dartmouth College, and Amherst College saw a rise in applications.

William R. Fitzsimmons, dean of admissions and financial aid, tried to look at the news in a positive light.

[RELATED: Harvard finally hands over docs in anti-Semitism investigation, may still face subpoena]

“Beyond another strong applicant pool, we are delighted by the stunning array of talents and lived experiences the class of 2028 will bring with them from throughout the United States and around the world,” Fitzsimmons said.

While it is unclear what could have caused the drop in applications, Harvard has found itself at the center of a debate on campus anti-Semitism and how far administrators should go in preventing it.

When asked during the hearing by Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) if calls for the genocide of Jews would violate Harvard’s bullying and harassment policies, Gay refused to give a clear answer.

”It can be, depending on the context,” Gay responded.

[RELATED: Harvard board that ‘unanimously’ supports Gay is overwhelmingly liberal, funds Democrats]

Gay would go on to apologize for her response several times.

Additionally, following the October 7, 2023, terror attack in Israel carried out by Hamas, several student organizations at Harvard signed a joint statement, which accused Israel of being “entirely responsible for all unfolding violence,” as Campus Reform reported.

Several of the student groups rescinded support for the open letter after receiving widespread criticism.