How to know how many applicants are being accepted?

[exhaustionandtoast]

So, I've seen a few people who seem to know exactly how many people are being accepted per cohort for the programs they're applying to. I'm wondering how they get this information? Do they reach out and ask or is it available online somewhere? 

[polisci_gal]

Sometimes it says on the program website (granted, I guess it depends on your discipline as well). For example, in the FAQ section on the program page they might have a question like "How many people get admitted each year?" with an answer of "Generally we receive 600 applications and hope to admit 10% of the class" which you can then draw your answer from. Other times they are more explicit and say "We hope to admit between 10-12 students each year" or whatever. You can also reach out to a potential supervisor or contact at the school if you feel comfortable asking them directly. In some of my conversations with potential supervisors prior to applying I occasionally asked this question. Hope this helps! Best of luck.

[exhaustionandtoast]

6 hours ago, polisci_gal said:

Sometimes it says on the program website (granted, I guess it depends on your discipline as well). For example, in the FAQ section on the program page they might have a question like "How many people get admitted each year?" with an answer of "Generally we receive 600 applications and hope to admit 10% of the class" which you can then draw your answer from. Other times they are more explicit and say "We hope to admit between 10-12 students each year" or whatever. You can also reach out to a potential supervisor or contact at the school if you feel comfortable asking them directly. In some of my conversations with potential supervisors prior to applying I occasionally asked this question. Hope this helps! Best of luck.

Thank you!!

[AP]

No one know exactly how many students will be accepted any given cycle except faculty in the AdComm. 

People might be drawing on conversations, on past statistics, or on conclusions drawn. Programs have a number of offers they make and a typical yield. However, that number depends on many things. Eg: if the previous cohorts were large, they might shrink this year. 

[Regression2theMean]

Consider contacting program officers. They often have some general stats for admission (i. e., how many funded positions they have open, how many faculty members are accepting students, etc.). However, I agree with other posters that knowing an exact number is nearly impossible for all about the admissions committee.