A record 1,185 admitted students registered to attend Bulldog Days this year, Dean of Admissions Jeff Brenzel said today.

It is not exactly an unparalleled turnout, however; this total only surpasses last year’s figure by one student.

But still. A record is a record.

Nearly 500 students qualified for funding to assist them in traveling to Bulldog Days, Brenzel said, although he said he could not estimate the total amount of money the Admissions Office would shoulder as part of this commitment.

“We maintained our expanded eligibility for assistance and were  able accommodate a large number of requests that involved tricky logistics or ticket splitting among other institutions,” he wrote in an e-mail message. “I feel confident that very few students may have decided against coming to Bulldog Days because of cost concerns.”

Still, as Yale’s carefully organized Bulldog Days program kicks off today, no amount of planning can counteract the sudden downturn in the weather. But Brenzel said he remains optimistic.

“I hope that Yale students will do what they always do in the event of a cold or rainy day or two in April in New Haven: show the prefrosh that Yale transcends the elements,” he said.