Common sense dictates that the first in line gets the best seat in the house. As competition for college classroom chairs intensifies, students are seeking ways to get to the head of the line. But is accepting admissions to a college through early decision the way to go? Recently, Yale president Richard C. Levin voiced strong opposition to the early decision option, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Beloit College in Wisconsin dropped their programs. However, 262 other schools across the country still offer this increasingly controversial and competitive admissions method, which requires a binding commitment from students. If accepted, a student agrees to withdraw all other applications and pledges to attend the accepting school. Locking into a college early takes some of the pressure off the student, but how beneficial is it in the long run? Don Emmons, dean of admissions and financial aid at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in New York, says, “If a student has done sufficient research in looking at colleges, has a strong sense of what they want and have measured their needs and expectations for college, it is possible to find an appropriate fit. If they apply early decision and are admitted, it certainly takes them out of the whole fray of the college selection process.” According to Nicole Eichin, manager of college counseling at College Coach, the student who has taken the initiative in several ways—establishing and maintaining contact, visiting and applying early—has a distinct advantage. “If students show their interest in the school, it helps give them a leg up,” she says. Eric Olsen fell into that category four years ago when, as a high school junior, he visited Bentley College in Massachusetts. “I looked around and knew that’s where I wanted to go. It was my number-one choice,” he says. “It had everything I was looking for in a school.” Although he did apply to several other colleges, Olsen responded enthusiastically to his early acceptance offer. Seppy Basili, vice president of learning and assessment at Kaplan, Inc., points out one of the biggest drawbacks to this program: “Early decision is absolutely going to benefit wealthy kids,” he says. “They don’t have to compare financial aid packages, and that’s the biggest criticism. Disproportionately, low-income students are not able to take advantage of early decision in the same way.” However, should an early decision acceptance bring an unacceptable financial aid package, students do have the option to bow out of the usually binding agreement. In recent years, early decision has become an effective tool for driving up a college’s selectivity and yield. Amherst fills approximately 45 percent of its incoming class with early decision applicants, while the University of Pennsylvania approaches 40 percent. In some instances, the rate reaches as high as 60 percent, to the detriment of some applicants. “The more students a college brings in early, the fewer seats there are for the larger pool of candidates–the regular admissions,” says Emmons. Aware of this competitiveness, parents experience almost as much stress as their children. During their college search, Michael and Ginni Hanlon and their son Michael felt tremendous pressure to apply early decision. Michael was besieged by phone calls from various coaches who urged the early decision option. “We heard that you do have a better chance of getting into a college if you apply early decision,” says Ginni. The competition increases each year and the requirements change, she points out. “A high GPA and advanced courses may not mean you’ll get in.” To his relief and delight, Amherst College in Massachusetts, Michael’s first choice, accepted him under early decision. An alternative to early decision, early action has been implemented at some schools. Linda Buckley, guidance counselor at Clinton High School in Massachusetts, says that for students who need to review financial aid packages before making a final decision, early action might be a better option. This non-binding agreement offers acceptance but doesn’t require action until May 1, the universal deposit date. Although some colleges offer early action in addition to or in lieu of early decision, the idea has not yet become widespread. Union College’s dean of admissions, Dan Lundquist, says that high school counselors feel teenagers should not be coerced into making an early, and possibly unwise, choice. By prolonging the search process, students can achieve greater maturity and self-awareness, look carefully at all options and focus on finishing their senior years. Emmons proposes that counselors act as a resource for students. “The high school guidance counselor’s main role is to help kids find an appropriate fit,” he says. If, during that search, the student clearly identifies one outstanding “perfect” school, that’s the time to submit an early decision application. “As an admissions professional, I don’t feel that the emphasis should be placed on early decision, but rather a smart decision,” says Monique Cossich, director of admissions at Angelo State University in Texas. “Students should put some thought into the college search process and not rely solely on name recognition or what they hear.” The line for college admissions will continue to grow steadily throughout the coming years. Whether early decision is the best way to leap over that crowd is a decision that requires careful deliberation and research.
