Peter Schilling, Amherst College’s director of information technology, put together the numbers on the use of technology by this year’s incoming class of 438 students. Here are some of the stats:

• Percentage of first-year applicants who applied online in 2003: 33%
• Percentage of applicants who did last year: 89%
• By the end of August 2008 the total number of members and posts at the Amherst College Class of 2012 Facebook group: 432 members and 3,225 posts
• Students in the class of 2012 who registered computers, IPhones, game consoles, etc. on the campus networks: 370 students registered 443 devices.
• Number of students in the class of 2012 who brought desktop computers to campus: 14
• Number that brought iPhones/iTouches: 93
• Likelihood that a student with an iPhone/iTouch is in the class of 2012: approximately 1 in 2
• Total number of students on campus this year that have landline phone service: 5

Schilling wanted “to tell the story of the changes occurring here and now in the life of the College.” I’m sure a similar story is being repeated at colleges and universities across the country.

More: IT Index

This entry was posted on Friday, October 17th, 2008 at 7:39 am and is filed under Admissions, Research, Technology, Trends.