From the Ivy League to large state schools it is becoming harder to get in as applications soar. Cristiana Quinn from Go Local Worcester reports.

College Admissions: Applications Surge at Many Elite Colleges

Despite promises of a declining demographic in college age students, applications are up this year at many of the nation’s most elite colleges. From large state universities to small liberal arts colleges and the Ivy League, students are applying in record numbers. Still amidst the winners, there are a few notable losers.

Harvard applications rose 9 percent from last year. According to officials, this was due to financial aid and social media campaigns targeting prospective students. Conversely, Yale saw a 2 percent decline in applications after cutting the number of mailings and viewbooks it sent out by 20 percent. Applications at Dartmouth jumped 6 percent, the University of Pennsylvania saw a 4 percent increase, and Princeton experienced just a 1 percent rise in apps.

Urban universities are once again big winners this year, as more students opt for the bustle of city life with internship options and a plethora of campus activities. New York University experienced its largest increase in applications in 15 years. A record 37,305 applied for the class of 2019. Heading south, applications to Emory University’s elite undergraduate programs in Atlanta have hit an all-time high, exceeding 20,000 applications for the class of 2019. Their College of Arts and Sciences applications surged 15 percent. Officials at Emory pointed to the positive media coverage of Ebola victims and their treatment at Emory facilities as a possible reason for the rise in interest.