A record 1,500 high school seniors have submitted early-decision applications to become members of the Class of 2010.

The initial number is up from the 1,482 high school seniors who applied early last year, admissions officials said.

This year, 1,291 students applied to the Trinity College of Arts and Sciences, and 209 applied to the Pratt School of Engineering.

"We are content with the number of early decision applications this year," said Christoph Guttentag, dean of undergraduate admissions. "Although there was only a slight increase in the number of early decision applicants, I think the number represents the continuing popularity of Duke among high-school students."

Officials said the slight increase in the total number of applicants was expected because there were no significant changes to the admissions policy this year.

"We didn't expect a big change in the number of early decision applicants," Guttentag said. "The admission picture for last year was very successful so we didn't feel a need for a change in our admission policy."

Last year, Duke allowed students to apply online using the Common Application. It also attracted more engineering applicants with the construction of the Fitzpatrick Center for Interdisciplinary Engineering, Medicine and Applied Sciences and increased funding for Pratt. Such changes led to a 10-percent increase in early decision applications overall.

"We saw a significant increase in both early decision and regular decision last year," Guttentag said. "It would've been surprising to see a similar degree of increase two years in a row. I think matching, even exceeding, last year's record is noteworthy."

International students made up three percent of the total number of early decision applicants. Thirty-one percent of the applications were submitted by minority students, and 47 percent of applicants indicated that they will apply for financial aid.

Guttentag said it is too early to comment on the strength of the applicant pool.

Admissions officers have begun the process of evaluating the applications, however, and Guttentag said he expects his office will have reviewed them all by next week.

This year, Harvard University, Stanford University and Yale University are going into their third year with a single-choice, early-action policy.

Students can apply early to only one school but are not required to commit to the college if accepted.

When Yale and Stanford adopted the policy, they saw a 50 percent increase in their early applications.

Duke, however, has no immediate plan for adopting the early-action policy, Guttentag said.

Since the option is still new, it is difficult to predict the benefits and potential increase in the number of applicants it would produce.

"We fill less than 30 percent of our class through early decision, and 90 percent of our applicants choose regular decision," Guttentag said. "Right now the system we have in place works well for us."

As in years past, all early decision applicants will be notified of their status in mid-December.