The undergraduate College received 10,316 early applications this year—an increase of 19.5 percent from last year and the largest number that the College has ever recorded.

Top young scholars who want to attend the University of Chicago have applied for early action in increasing numbers over the past 10 years. John W. Boyer, dean of the College, said the trend shows many early applicants view UChicago as their first choice.

“We are delighted that so many talented students from across the nation and the world are passionate about the UChicago combination of deep intellectual rigor, support for student life and success, and engagement with the fascinating world metropolis in which we live,” Boyer said.

The growth in student interest in UChicago is partly a response to many academic and extracurricular offerings announced this past year, said James G. Nondorf, Vice President and Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid. Prospective students have expressed a great deal of enthusiasm around the new Institute of Politics and the programs being launched under the guidance of inaugural director David Axelrod. Artistically inclined students see exciting opportunities for performance and creativity in the new Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts. Budding scientists are drawn to the chance to help define a new field of study through the University’s new Institute for Molecular Engineering.

The University also has redoubled its efforts to ensure that a UChicago education is accessible to students of all financial backgrounds by expanding the Odyssey Scholarship program for middle- and lower-income families. Applications from the city of Chicago also are rising in response to UChicago Promise, an initiative recently announced with Mayor Rahm Emanuel, which helps students from the City of Chicago gain admission to and pay for college, including a no-loan pledge for those who qualify for financial aid at UChicago.

The deadline for early action was Nov. 1. Applicants will receive a response by mid-December. Early applications to UChicago are non-binding, and students are free to apply elsewhere. The regular application deadline is Jan. 2, and those students will be notified by April 2013.