Nearly 35,000 students applied to Harvard College this year and 2,158, or

Nearly 35,000 students applied to Harvard College this year and 2,158, or 6.2 percent, were accepted into the class of 2015, the college has announced.

The letters bearing the good news to accepted applicants were mailed today, the school said in a statement.

As expected, the accepted students have stellar academic backgrounds, with about 45 percent of them scoring 700 or above on one or more portions of the Scholastic Aptitude Test. Eleven percent of the accepted students are the highest-ranked in their high school classes.

The admitted class is also diverse. The accepted students were 17.8 percent Asian-American, 11.8 percent African-American, and 12.1 percent Latino. Ten percent of those admitted are foreign citizens, the university said.

“Although it is difficult to make precise comparisons to previous years because of changes in federal requirements concerning the collection and reporting of race and ethnicity information, it is likely that the percentages of African-American and Latino students are records,” the school said.

Just over 51 percent of the admitted students are men.

According to Harvard, more than 60 percent of the admitted students will receive need-based scholarships, averaging more than $40,000, thanks to a record $160 million in available financial aid.

“The public policy benefit of enabling students from all backgrounds to make the most of their talents through higher education will be felt for generations to come,” said William R. Fitzsimmons, dean of admissions and financial aid. “Our colleges and universities are reaching out more than ever before for students with remarkable personal qualities and character who can play leadership roles in addressing the many urgent challenges facing us.”