NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) – Yale University sent out acceptance letters Thursday to 1,880 of the 19,448 students who applied for admission, making the class of 2009 the most competitive in school history.

The acceptance rate for freshmen has been falling for years. Only 9.7 percent of applications were accepted this year, compared to 20 percent a decade ago.

“They have to get through a lot of hoops to get here,” Dean of Admissions Richard Shaw said. “We’re very pleased to be able to craft a class that’s so extraordinary.”

Freshman class size has remained steady at about 1,300 students each year.

Students from all 50 states and 51 countries were admitted. Fifty-two percent were men and 57 percent went to public high schools, the university said.

Students were able to check the status of their applications on the university’s Web site Thursday night.

A Yale education will cost $41,000 a year beginning next fall, up 5.5 percent from this year. The university recently changed its financial aid policies to ensure low-income families do not have to pay to send their children to Yale.

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