From applications to interviews to essays to school tours, the typical high school senior begins the year overwhelmed by the task of applying to college. Each college has its own set of deadlines and application criteria that require careful attention and evaluation.

The few students who know which college they want to attend are the envy of the rest of the class, as they need only apply to one school through a procedure known as early admission. Through early admission, these students find out if they are accepted to a particular school in the fall of their senior year; they don’t need to apply to any more schools if they are accepted.

We felt that early decision unfairly discriminated against students for whom money was an issue. You were very disadvantaged.”

- Louis Hirsh, admissions director at the University of Delaware

“We believe that elimination of early admission programs can reduce some of the frenzy, complexity and inequity in a process that even under the best of circumstances is inevitably stressful for students and their families,” Princeton University President Shirley Tilghman said in a recent article on Princeton’s Web site.

There are two types of early admission programs that colleges offer. Students who apply early decision enter into a binding agreement with the college, promising they will attend the school if accepted. Students who apply early action have the option of applying earlier than the regular pool of candidates, but are not obligated to withdraw applications from other schools if they are accepted.

At many institutions, applying early gives applicants a better chance of getting accepted. Last year Harvard University accepted 21 percent of those who applied in its early action program, but less than 10 percent of its regular admissions applicants were accepted.

This year at Princeton, 598 people were accepted early, nearly 49 percent of the freshman class of 1,231 members.

Many have criticized early decision programs, arguing that they favor the privileged. If a student applies early decision to a school, the student is then required to remove all applications from other colleges, thus preventing comparison of financial aid packages from several schools. Consequently, only those students who are not limited by the cost of institutions can safely apply early decision.

“We felt that early decision unfairly discriminated against students for whom money was an issue,” said Louis Hirsh, admissions director at the University of Delaware. “You were very disadvantaged.”
In an article posted on the Princeton University Web site, President Shirley Tilghman said, “We agree that early admission ‘advantages the advantaged.’”

Ending early admission programs is just one more way that colleges are promoting diversity and equality on their campuses.

“We want students from all backgrounds and financial circumstances to know that Princeton is affordable to them and that they will receive full and thoughtful consideration in our admission process,” said Janet Lavin Rapelye, dean of admission, in a Princeton University Web site article.

The University of Delaware also dropped its early admission program because of the widespread false belief that the only way to get into a school is to apply early decision.

“I don’t like the idea of people having to make a hasty decision,” Hirsh said.

Students should not fear rejection from their top choice schools now that early admission is no longer offered at several colleges. Jonathan Reider, former senior associate director of admissions at Stanford University, told NPR, “The top kids – the wicked smart kids who were getting in early – are still going to get in regular later.”

With Harvard, Princeton and Virginia announcing the end of their early admission program termination within weeks of each other, and Delaware and North Carolina now doing the same, it’s likely other schools will jump on the bandwagon.
For the most part, the move has been met with postiive reaction.

“Clearly the positive reaction we’ve received is a very good indication that we made the correct decision that’s in the best interest of students,” Hirsh said.

Hate the new trend or love it, one point is clear, the college admissions process is changing. Harvard, Princeton and the University of Virginia will enact the change to their admission policy beginning with the class of 2012. The University of Delaware will begin with the class of 2011.

“I think that the schools are sending a great message about their commitment to providing equal - or at least closer to equal - opportunities for students,” said Gayle Gordon, a junior at Brandeis University. “In theory I am in favor of it, but I’m not 100% behind it because I am so grateful for the time, stress, and energy that early decision provided me with.”

For more information, check out:

NPR: “[6] Nine Things You Need to Know About Early Action”

Harvard University Gazette: “[7] Harvard to Eliminate Early Admission”

Princeton University: “[8] Princeton to End Early Admission”