For the eighth year in a row, NYU’s application record has been broken with a record 60,322 prospective students applying to the class of 2019. This admissions cycle has received a 15 percent increase over last year’s applications — the largest increase that the university has seen since 1999.

From 2002 to 2012, the university saw a 45 percent increase in applications, receiving nearly 53,000 applications last year for the class of 2018. Of those, 34 percent were accepted. This year, 7,749 of the applicants were Early Decision, more than any other university in the United States.

Applicant Veena Sivaraman, who is waiting to hear back on her application to the College of Arts and Science, said NYU forces students to step out of their comfort zones.

“I think NYU is just doing a great job accommodating all types of students and helping them succeed which is why so many more people are applying,” Sivaraman said. “What makes NYU great is that it accepts all kinds of students, so I think it should keep attracting as many students as possible.”

Alejandra Villanueva, an incoming CAS freshman, said she applied because of the opportunities NYU presented her. She emphasized that NYU should focus on attracting students that would benefit from and fit into NYU, especially those who would contribute to NYU’s academic growth.

“Accepting students should be mutually beneficial,” Villanueva said. “It should not matter if they are the best academically, it should matter what they can do with what NYU offers them.”

NYU remains one of the most popular universities for prospective students, alongside many of the University of California schools. UCLA received over 100,000 applications for the incoming freshman class.

NYU spokesperson John Beckman said the school is delighted in the increase in applicants, and the number represents the diverse community to which so many are attracted, a feature which many applicants said drew them to NYU.

“This is a real testament to the quality of the scholarly community built by our students and faculty — diverse, vibrant, globally oriented and academically rigorous,” Beckman said. “That should be a source of pride for everyone here.”

Austin Tucker, who applied Early Decision to the Stern School of Business and will be attending in the fall, said the increase in applicants shows how desirable NYU continues to be to high school students everywhere.

“The best and most interesting students come from all backgrounds, countries and walks of life, so it’s important to keep attracting as many applicants as possible,” Tucker said. “That’s what really makes NYU unique.”

A version of this article appeared in the Monday, Jan. 26 print edition. Email Alex Bazeley at [email protected].