UW-Madison received a record number of applications for admittance next fall. According to Associate Director for UW Admissions Tom Reason, about 25,000 applications were submitted to the admissions office as of the Feb. 1 deadline, surpassing last year’s record by nearly 500 applicants.

“It’s been a record pretty much every year,” Reason said. “I think it simply has to do with the reputation, notoriety and visibility of this institution.”

Reason said the UW-Madison admissions office aims to enroll a freshman class of 5,700 students. Last year, actual enrollment was about 400 students over the desired limit. The amount applicants last year, according to Reason, was “unusually and unexpectedly large.”

“We’re hopeful at keeping the lid on things better than we were able to last year,” he said.

Paul Evans, director of University Housing, said this year’s tighter admission process should result in a higher percentage of freshmen that receive housing.

“We only have a limited number of spots [in the dorms], and we don’t have enough housing to house all the freshmen who want to live on campus,” he said. “If the freshmen class is smaller than last year, then there will be fewer freshmen that we have to turn away.”

However, an increased amount of applicants for a fewer number of enrollment spots could mean more competition among prospective students. Karen Mittelstadt, assistant director of communications for the UW-Madison admissions office, said the most commonly asked question on campus visits is: “What are the chances that I’ll be admitted into the university?”

“Our admission counselors show students our admission expectations and let the numbers tell the story,” she said. “Students compare their personal academic profile and reach their own conclusions.”

Mittelstadt said there has been a “parallel spike” in the number of campus visitors and number of applications the university has received.

According to Mittelstadt, the Visitor and Information Program has hired more tour guides, added more information sessions and is now offering an information session and campus walking tour every day to accommodate visitors and applicants.

“A number of colleges across the country are experiencing an increase in applications because there’s more high school students that are college-bound,” Mittelstadt said.

Another national trend involves high school students applying to a greater number of universities. Today, the average college-bound student is applying to five or six universities, where previously he or she may have only applied to two or three, Mittelstadt said.