Applications to the University of Vermont for the 2008/2009 academic year have risen 12 percent to a new record of 20,971, double the figure of just five years ago. The previous high of 18,631 was set last year. Application rates in recent years have far surpassed those of UVM's Public Ivy era, when they reached a high of 11,953 in 1987. That figure stood as a record for 18 years.

The quality of the applicant pool is also up, with average cumulative SAT scores rising seven points.

Vermont applications numbered 2,079, level with last year, despite a 3 percent decline in the anticipated number of public high school graduates in the state in 2008. Since reaching a high point of 6,978 in 2001/2002, the number of public high school graduates in Vermont has declined 8 percent to an expected 6,499 this year. During that period, Vermont applications to UVM rose 26 percent.

Diversity in the applicant pool also set a new record this year, with a 13 percent rise, to 1,793, in the number of applicants identifying themselves African American, Asian American, Latino/a, Native American, or multi-racial. ALANA applications have increased 172 percent in the last five years.

"We are very pleased with these results," said Chris Lucier, vice president for enrollment management. "The fact that we are seeing such strong application growth year after year, on ever increasing base sizes, is clear testament that UVM is a hot school. These statistics underscore the anecdotal data we hear from counselors across the country that UVM is increasingly a destination for talented students from their high schools."

A combination of factors is driving UVM's success, Lucier said, including "investments we're making in our academic program and campus, the resulting good word of mouth in high schools, and the inherent appeal of UVM itself, which combines a first rate academic experience with a terrific location."