|
Vol. 16 No. 2
October 2001
Early Admissions Still Increasing...
Benefits and Caveats
for Early Applicants
AS COLLEGE BOUND HAS
REPORTED over the past few years, an
increasing number of high school students are applying early
for admission to their top choice colleges and universities.
This is a national trend driven by a combination of media hype,
better informed students and parents who want a quick relief
to their admissions anxieties, and by an ever escalating competition
for admission to name brand colleges.
So this month, CB updates a trend that
is changing the way some admissions officers and high school
counselors look at the entire admissions process. What are the
latest trends at certain respected schools across the nation?
Who should apply early this fall? And why? What are the risks?
Here is what admissions officers and one high school counselor
advised CB this fall.
EARLY APPLICATION
HYSTERIA
"There's an early application hysteria out there among students
and parents," says Hector Martinez, director of college
guidance at the Webb Schools, three private secondary schools
based in Claremont, California. "In Southern California
prep schools, there's been a substantial increase in early decision
and early action candidates. As much as 60 percent of a senior
class is applying early."
This picture is being repeated across the
nation, especially in affluent high schools, as early application
hysteria spreads.
FUNDAMENTAL
CHANGES?
"I believe early decision is changing the college admissions
game in ways that are fundamental and permanent," Christopher
Hooker-Haring, dean of admission and financial aid at Muhlenberg
College, Allentown, Pennsylvania, tells CB.
"Early decision can benefit students
in that they know sooner what is happening at their first-choice
college." Hooker-Haring also notes that, "On many campuses
there is some degree of preferential consideration given to early
decision candidates."
He confirms that, "early decision
benefits colleges because they are getting students who are highly-motivated
to be there. And they cut down on the volatility of predicting
yield in the spring."
Last year, Muhlenberg admitted 310 early
decision applicants out of a class total of 575, at an acceptance
rate of 60 percent. Muhlenberg's regular decision acceptance
rate was just 30 percent.
"We made a decision that we'd rather
accept students in the middle of the early decision applicant
pool rather than someone in the middle of the regular decision
pool," explains Hooker-Haring.
Each college's strategy is different on
this point. Admissions officers advise students and their counselors
to ask admissions officers at the schools of their interest,
"what percentage of their first-year class is admitted early?"
in order to determine how essential it is to apply early to that
college.
EARLY IVY
Early admission at two bellwether Ivy League schools, Harvard
and Dartmouth, represent opposite poles of early admission options.
Harvard offers an early action program, and no early decision
path. Dartmouth has early decision, but no early action plan.
"Early applications at Harvard College
accounted for about a third of all applications last year,"
Hannah Weiss, a Harvard admissions officer, reports to CB. Total
undergraduate population at Harvard College is about 6,600 students.
Harvard's total applicant pool last year was about 19,900, according
to Weiss, and about 10.7 percent of those were admitted. However,
about 20 percent of early applications were admitted.
"The early applicant pool tends to
be students who have everything in order and is the strongest
pool of applicants we see," says Weiss. "We recommend
that early action candidates mail their applications by October
15. We notify them in mid-December."
Typically, admission decisions for about
75 percent of the early applications pool at Harvard are deferred
for review with the regular decision applicants, and they are
then notified in April.
"The students we admit early are those
we're absolutely sure we're going to take regardless of what
the national and international pool of applicants looks like,"
notes Weiss. Harvard's admission is based on academic achievement,
SAT and ACT test scores, extra curricular activity and personal
qualities. "In terms of academics," Weiss explains,
"we want to make sure students have taken the most rigorous
curricula in high school."
Harvard's need-blind admission policy means
the admissions office does not know if a student is applying
for financial aid when applications are reviewed. But financial
aid is available for all admitted students, according to Weiss.
DARTMOUTH
BOOMING
Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, also has seen much
early interest in recent years. Last year, for example, about
2,000 early decision applications were received. Dartmouth's
first-year class size runs about 1,075 students, of which about
30 percent are early decision admitees.
"We hope that early decision applicants
have looked at a lot of different colleges and universities and
have decided that Dartmouth is the place they'd like to spend
the next four years," John Dolan, assistant director of
admissions, tells CB. Early decision students at Dartmouth may
also let their applications "roll," Dolan explains,
which means they can talk to other colleges and universities
to compare financial aid packages.
"That's one way a student may renege
on a contract," says Dolan, "if the student found it
was just impossible to meet tuition. Fortunately, the endowment
at Dartmouth is such that we don't have to worry much about that
for domestic students."
The perception among students and their
parents that an early decision application provides a better
chance of getting into the school of choice is not accurate at
Dartmouth, according to Dolan.
"Statistically, the acceptance rate
for early decision is only slightly higher than for regular decision,"
he says. "That's because the early decision applicant has
done the research, is better prepared academically and is, therefore,
a more competitive candidate."
NORTH CAROLINA'S
NEW ED PROGRAM
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill receives some
2,000 early decision applications annually, about 15 percent
of all applications, Stephen Farmer, senior associate director
of admissions, informs CB. Between 700 to 800 of those early
decision applicants usually are admitted.
"This will be the third year we've
had early decision," says Farmer. "The first year we
had more than the second, and we expect it to hold steady at
about 2,000 annually. But it's not an easier way of getting in
here. The admit rates for early decision are comparable to regular
decision."
[back
to top]
DEPAUW THRIVES
EARLY
In the Midwest, DePauw University, Greencastle, Indiana, offers
both early decision and early action. "We have a really
small early decision pool and that's intentional," Madeleine
Eagon, vice president, admissions and financial aid at DePauw,
explains to CB readers. "Last year, we admitted 30 early
decision applicants out of a freshman class of 630, less than
5 percent."
But by far the largest percentage of applications
and admissions at DePauw is early action applicants. About 350
of the entering class last year, or 55 percent, were early action,
according to Eagon.
"Students believe that if they don't
apply early to the most competitive schools they won't have a
chance of getting in because the numbers would be more in their
favor," she says. "With us, it doesn't make a difference.
If you don't get in early action, you won't get in early decision.
There's just no incentive here for early decision."
Eagon notes that this is reflected in DePauw'
five percent early decision admission rate and makes it clear
that students can't leverage an early decision application into
a better aid package.
EARLY RESERVES
SOAR AT CASE WESTERN
At another Midwestern institution, Case Western Reserve University
in Cleveland, only the early decision option is available. "We've
had a more than a 100 percent increase in early decision applicants
since we started the program in 1990," William T. Conley,
dean of undergraduate admission, informs CB. "About 15 percent
of our incoming class is early decision students. But some highly
selective Eastern institutions may be enrolling from 40 to 50
percent early decision...."
Conley adds, "It's a program that
favors those with the ability to pay." Many students can't
afford to limit their college choice to one institution and the
one financial aid package available, Conley points out.
"My advice to students and parents
is to conduct good research and reconnaissance and then if a
first-choice college or university emerges then absolutely apply
early decision," Conley recommends. "And if the financial
package does not make it possible for the student to enroll,
then you're not required to commit."
But Conley offers this caveat: "If
you need to compare financial packages, you can't do that under
an early decision program." Deadline for early decision
at Case Western Reserve University is a somewhat-later-than-typical
January 1; the regular decision deadline is February 1.
The bottom line, according to Conley: Be
an educated consumer. Some institutions are trying to recruit
early decision students from under-represented minorities. Talk
with people at the institution that interests you. And remember,
the competition in early application involves top test scores,
and that hinders students who don't test well.
CALIFORNIA
DREAMING
On the West Coast, Pepperdine University in Malibu, California,
offers an early action program, but no early decision. The early
action deadline is November 15 and letters of notification are
sent to students on or before December 15.
"We've had an increasing number of
early action applicants over the past three years," says
Chad Gardner, admission counselor. "Since I came here three
years ago, there has been a 5 to 10 percent annual increase.
I've talked with other counselors from other universities here
and they've been experiencing similar increases. It's a national
trend." Last year, Pepperdine had about 1,500 early applicants
and admitted about 300 of those.
Pepperdine has a need-blind admission policy
and financial aid packages for early action students, but they
are not disclosed until April after the entire class has been
admitted, according to Gardner.
"Early action is increasing because
students want to know early if they're accepted to their first-choice
school," Gardner says. "This way, they won't have to
spend the rest of their time filling out other applications."
TOP TEN RULE
In the Southwest, Texas has a pioneering "Top Ten Rule,"
a law passed in 1998 which guarantees admission to any state
university for the top ten students in all high school graduating
classes. Neither early decision nor early action plans are available
at state universities and colleges in Texas, but many students
know their class rank and those in the top of their class can
therefore make early plans for attending a Texas university.
Most of these Top Ten students chose the
University of Texas or Texas A & M, according to Frank Ashley,
director of admissions at Texas A & M University in College
Station. "About 6,500 freshmen came in this year and 51.7
percent were Top Ten students," Ashley tells CB. "Financial
aid from the university is not available, but State of Texas
grants are available for Top Ten applicants."
CAUTIONS AND
RISKS
But early applications aren't always best for the applicant,
notes Martinez at the Webb Schools. The typical early applicant,
Martinez points out, is a "B" student with a 3.0 grade
average and a 1300 SAT score.
"These students are not competitive
with the high caliber early applicant students they are matched
against and they're going to be [rejected] from step one,"
he warns. "Colleges and universities want students with
a 4.0 average and a 1500 SAT score. So borderline students should
not apply early." He adds, however, "Students with
excellent grades and SAT scores should apply early and I support
that."
OVERLOOKED
REGULAR ADVANTAGES
What is so often overlooked in the rush to apply early, according
to Martinez, are the positive advantages in regular admission
applications. Students and their parents should be aware of these,
he says.
These advantages include: taking the additional
time for students to think about what they really want, to research
colleges and universities, to develop a list of good matches
and more time for students to prove themselves in their senior
year, both academically, and in extracurricular activities.
"Grades may improve dramatically and
SAT scores may go up in a student's senior year," Martinez
points out. "That could convince a school to admit a student
on a regular basis."
GREATER COMPETITION
THIS YEAR
But Hooker-Haring at Muhlenberg cautions that this year's admission
cycle will be even more competitive than last year's, and yet
more competitive the following year. This trend will continue
for the foreseeable future. "There are just more 18-year-olds
out there for colleges to draw from," he says. "And
as those raw numbers go up, competition also goes up."
So students should seek every advantage
they can, and when a student is well-qualified, that may mean
an early application to a school which is increasingly admitting
a larger percentage of its entering class through an early admissions
option.
[back
to top]
Basic Definitions
Under the traditional admissions
scheduling, college and university application dates usually
run from January through March, depending on the institution.
But a growing number of applications are now being submitted
as early as October of the year prior to matriculation.
Generally, two early admissions options
are available to the applicant, each with downside risks and
upside benefits. They are early decision and early action.
Early Decision.
The early decision admission option requires the applicant's
commitment to a binding agreement to attend the institution applied
to if accepted. Typically, the early decision candidate applies
to only one school, the student's college or university of first
choice.
On acceptance, all applicationsif
anyto other schools are withdrawn by the applicant. Deadlines
for early decision among the schools surveyed this fall by CB
range from November 1 to December 1. Acceptance notifications
usually are sent in mid-December.
Early Action.
Early action is similar to early decision, but the early action
applicant may apply to multiple colleges and universities and
is not required to make a binding commitment to any of them.
Whichever option is selected by applicants,
the early application trend has grown over the past three years
by as much as 30 percent at some institutions.
[back
to top]
 THE
COUNSELOR'S CORNER
Sizing Yourself-Up Survey
WITH APOLOGIES TO SOCRATES, knowing thyself is easier said than done. Most
high school students can analyze differential equations or a
Shakespearean play with the greatest of ease, but when it comes
to cataloging their own strengths, weaknesses, likes and dislikes,
many draw a blank. But self-knowledge is crucial to the matching
process at the heart of a successful college search. The survey
below offers a simple way to get a handle on some crucial issues
in college selection, and what sort of college may fit your preferences.
Beside each statement, rate your feelings on a scale of 1 to
10, with 10 strongly agree, 1 strongly disagree and 5 not sure/don't
have a strong feeling.
1. I enjoy participating in many activities. Students at small colleges tend to have more opportunity
to be involved in many activities. Fewer students means less
competition for spots.
2. I learn best by listening and writing
what I hear. Students who prefer
lecture courses will find them at most large institutions.
3. I would like to have a prominent
place in my community. Student
council presidents and other would-be leaders take note: It is
easier to be a big fish if you are swimming in a small pond.
4. I would like to be in a place where
I can be anonymous if I choose to be.
At a large university, the supply of new faces is never-ending.
Students who have the initiative can always reinvent themselves.
5. Individual attention by teachers
is important to me. Small colleges
generally offer more one-on-one with faculty both in the classroom
and the laboratory.
6. I prefer devoting my time to one
or two activities rather than many.
Students who are passionate about one activitysay writing
for the college newspaperwill find higher quality at a bigger
school.
7. I can learn best when I speak out
and ask questions. Students who
learn from interaction and participation would be well-advised
to consider a small college.
8. I want to attend a college that most
people have heard of. Big schools
have more name recognition because they are bigger and have Division
I athletic programs. Even the finest small colleges are relatively
anonymous among the general public.
9. I am undecided about what I will
study. Small colleges generally
offer more guidance and support to students who are undecided.
The exception: Students who are considering a preprofessional
or highly specialized major.
10. I am interested in a career-oriented
major. More large institutions
offer business, engineering, nursing, etc., though some excellent
small institutions do as well (depending on the field.)
11. I want to earn a Ph.D. in my chosen
field. A higher percentage of students
at selective small colleges earn a Ph.D. than those who attend
large institutions of similar quality.
12. I like to be on my own. A higher percentage of students live off campus
at larger schools, which are more likely to be in urban areas
than their smaller counterparts.
13. I prefer a college in a warm or
hot climate. Keep in mind that
the Southeast and the Southwest have far different personalities
(not to mention humidity levels.)
14. I prefer a college in a cool or
cold climate. Consider the Midwest,
where there are many fine schools which are notably less selective
than those in the Northeast.
15. I want to be near the mountains. You're probably thinking Colorado or Vermont,
but don't zero in too quickly. States from Maine to Georgia and
Arkansas to Arizona have easy access to mountains.
16. I want to be near a lake or ocean. Oceans are only on the coasts, but keep in mind
the Great Lakes, the Finger Lakes, etc. Think about whether you
want to be on the water or, say, within a two-hour drive.
17. I prefer to attend a college in
a particular state or region. Geographical
blinders limit options. Even if you think you want a certain
area of the country, consider at least one college located elsewhere.
18. I prefer to attend a college close
to home. Unless you are planning
to live with Mom and Dad, it may not matter whether your college
is a two-hour drive or a two-hour plane ride.
19. I want city life within walking
distance of my campus. Be sure
to check out the neighborhood(s) surrounding your campus. Urban
campuseseven in the same citycan be wildly different.
20. I want city life within driving
distance of my campus. Unless you
are a hardcore urban dweller, a suburban perch near a city may
beat living within the thick of one. Does public transportation
or a campus shuttle help students get around?
21. I want my campus to be surrounded
by natural beauty. A campus view
book will take you only so far. To really know if you'll fall
in love with the campus, visiting it is a must.
22. I like to be surrounded by free-thinkers
and nonconformists. Plenty of schools
cater to students who buck the mainstream. Talk to your counselor
or browse The Fiske Guide to find some.
23. I like the idea of joining a fraternity
or sorority. Greek life is strongest
at mainstream and conservative-leaning schools. Find out if there
is a split between Greeks and non-Greeks.
24. I like rubbing shoulders with people
who are bright and talented. This
is perhaps the best reason to aim for a highly selective institution,
especially if you're the type who rises to the level of competition.
25. I like being one of the smartest
people in my class. If so, maybe
you should skip the highly selective rat race. Star students
get the best that a college has to offer.
26. I want to go to a prestigious college. There is nothing wrong with wanting prestige.
Think honestly about how badly you want a big name school and
act accordingly.
27. I want to go to college where I
can get an excellent education.
Throw out the U.S. News rankings and think about which
colleges will best meet your needs as a student.
28. I want to try for an academic scholarship. Students in this category should consider less
selective alternatives. Scholarships are more likely if you rank
high in the applicant pool.
29. I want a diverse college. All colleges pay lip service to diversity. To
get the truth, see the campus for yourself and take a hard look
at the student body statistics in the Guide's write-up.
30. I want a college where students
are serious about ideas. Don't
assume that a college necessarily attracts true intellectuals
merely because it is highly selective. Some top schools are known
for their intellectual climate, and others for their lack of
it. n
This checklist is adapted with permission
from The Fiske Guide to Colleges
2002 (eighteenth edition), by Edward B. Fiske, Sourcebooks
Inc., ISBN 1-57071-765-6, $22.95, and can be ordered directly
from COLLEGE BOUND's new service, COLLEGE BOUND Books,
PO Box 6536, Evanston, IL 60204.
[back
to top]
ADMISSIONS
WATCH
Yale
2005. Yale's 1,298 students of
the class of 2005 were selected from a record 14,809 applicants.
Exactly half of the class was made up of women. The admittance
rate this year was 13.8 percent, down from 16 percent last year;
while the yield of students who enrolled at Yale was 65 percent.
The students hail from 49 states and 44
nations. New York led the way with 191 freshmen, followed by
California with 158 and Connecticut with 97. Median SAT scores
were 730 verbal and 720 math. The most popular intended majors:
molecular, cellular and developmental biology, 10 percent; political
science, 7 percent; economics, 6 percent; English, 5 percent.
Over 60 percent of overseas students received
financial aid, as a result of Yale's new policy to extend its
"need-blind" admission policy to students from abroad.
About 40 percent of all Yale students receive financial aid.
CUNY's Boom. After prolonged debate, the City University of
New York (CUNY) has begun phasing in higher admissions standards
at its 11 senior colleges, and the number of enrolled first-year
students has risen instead of fallen as first feared. CUNY now
requires all entering students to pass new school entrance exams
or post a minimum of 480 on both the verbal and math sections
of the SAT. Students who do not meet those levels of proficiency
are directed to the system's community colleges for remedial
courses.
A total of 134,279 undergraduates attend
CUNY's senior colleges. On September 10, The New York Times
reported that the number of new freshmen at CUNY's senior colleges
increased 7.7 percent this fall, to 15,183. "Not only have
the campuses all raised their standards, but students are meeting
those standards and are choosing to come to CUNY," Matthew
Goldstein, CUNY's chancellor, told The Times.
Baruch College led the way with a 27 percent
increase to fill its new classroom building; York College increased
enrollment by 24 percent; John Jay by 19 percent; Lehman by 18
percent; Medgar Evers by 17 percent; Queens by 10 percent; Hunter
by over 5 percent. But Brooklyn College fell by 9 percent and
City College by 17 percent.
Montreal
Calling. A growing number of American
college students are making the short hop across the U.S.-Canadian
border to enroll in McGill University in the heart of Montreal.
With a comparatively inexpensive tuition of $7,000 U.S. annually,
a low undergraduate student population of about 6,000 and all
the amenities of the cosmopolitan city of Montreal, McGill U.
is an attractive option.
Since 1998, U.S. enrollment at McGill has
increased by over 60 percent. In 1999, there were 1,177 U.S.
undergraduate students enrolled at McGill. In 2000, the total
rose to 1,403.
"For American students, McGill is
close to home, and Montreal is an interesting and relatively
safe city," Robin Geller, registrar and director of admissions
at McGill University, told CB. Financial aid and scholarships
are available, although not of the same magnitude as U.S. schools.
All classes are taught in English. A student visa is required.
For more information, visit: www.mcgill.ca.
Middlebury
College. This year, Middlebury
College in Vermont received 5,411 applications for its first-year
class of 515, and accepted 1,222, fewer than last year. Middlebury
received 822 early action applications and accepted 252 or 46
percent of its new class. It also wait-listed 1,195 students.
Roger Williams. Roger Williams University in Bristol, Rhode Island,
fielded a first-year class of 1,200 students, an increase of
154 percent over the past five years.
TCU. Despite a wait list with 200 students, Texas
Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas, took none of them
to fill its record first-year class of 1,515 students, an increase
from 1,493 last year. Nearly 17 percent more high school students
applied for TCU in 2001 than last year.
[back
to top]
COLLEGE BOUND's Publisher/Editor:
R. Craig Sautter, DePaul University; Chief Operating Officer:
Sally Reed; Contributor: Marc Davis; Circulation:
Irma Gonzalez-Hider; Illustration: Louis Coronel;
Board of Advisors: Claire D. Friedlander, Bedford (NY)
Central School District; Howard Greene, author, The
Greenes' Guides to Educational Planning Series; Terence
Giffin, Choate-Rosemary Hall; Frank C. Leana, Ph.D.,
educational counselor; Virginia Vogel, Educational Guidance
Services; M. Fredric Volkmann, Washington University in
St. Louis, Mary Ann Willis, Bayside Academy (Daphne, Ala.).
|
