Rapelye To Leave Princeton After 15 Years as Admission Dean

Janet Rapelye, Princeton’s dean of admission since 2003, is leaving the University to become president of the Consortium on Financing Higher Education (COFHE). She will begin her new role Nov. 1.

Under Rapelye’s leadership, applications to Princeton nearly tripled, from 13,690 in 2004 to 35,370 in 2018. In 2005, she oversaw the expansion of the undergraduate student body following the opening of Whitman College. In 2006, Princeton dropped its early admissions program and then reinstated it in 2011 to help build a stronger and more diverse freshman class. Last fall, the University began accepting applications from transfer students for the first time since 1990.

President Eisgruber ’83 praised Rapelye’s work in a University news release. “Choosing among the thousands of qualified applicants to Princeton is a nearly impossible task, and she has handled it with skill, sensitivity and integrity,” he said.

COFHE is an organization representing 35 liberal-arts colleges and universities, including Princeton, which are “committed to meeting the full demonstrated financial need of admitted students,” according to the group’s website.

More from the PAW archives:

Quest for Access: ‘Virtual locker’ proposal sparks debate as path to attract underserved students (Feb. 3, 2016)

Inside Admissions: Students, alumni get a rare glimpse at how their applications were viewed (May 13, 2015)

Early Admission, Take Two: What does Princeton’s return to early admission mean for high school students? (July 6, 2011)

Admission Obsession: A Little League parent gets an early (and alarming) look at the frenzied world of college applications (Dec. 12, 2007)

A Moment With … Janet Rapelye (Oct. 6, 2004)