Applied Science

John Etchemendy, provost at Standford University, writes an Op-Ed in Wednesday's New York Times urging those applauding Harvard's and Princeton's decisions to end early admission to think again.

Navigating an altered admissions landscape

"Now that Harvard and Princeton have announced they will stop early admissions, the frantic chess game of applying to top colleges seems to require some new strategies. So what's an ambitious kid – or parent -- to do?," asks Leslie Brody of New Jersey's Record.

NorthJersey.com tries to provide some answers (including contradictory ones).

University of Virginia Drops Early Decision

UVA is the latest school to make the college admissions process even more complicated.

Without Merit - Inside college-admissions offices

The National Review's Anthony Dick reviews the new book The Price of Admission by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Daniel Golden. Dick asserts the book makes a convincing case that college admissions offices at the nation's top universities lower their standards when looking at the applications of the rich and powerful.

University of Baltimore Offers Free Freshman Year

To help promote the fact that it will have its first freshman class in three decades, University of Baltimore will offer free tuition and cover other expenses for its 2007 freshman class. For years the school has only offered classes to juniors and seniors. UB expects its 2007 freshman class will have between 100 and 130 students.

More: UB freshman to get free first year, By Gadi Dechter, Baltimore Sun

Who Needs Harvard or Yale?

BusinessWeek explores the growing phenomenon of American students studying across the pond at elite British universities.

Penn won't jump on admissions' latest trend

The University of Pennsylvania will not be making any changes to its early admissions policy in the near future. That according to Dean of Admissions, Lee Stetson, who said Penn's decision to admit nearly half of each year's freshman class early plays a large role in creating a positive campus culture (meaning Penn is filled with students happy to be at Penn).

From The Daily Pennsylvanian article: "He estimated that Penn was the first-choice college for 75 percent of students here, which makes a demonstrable difference in their dedication and involvement."

Related: Harvard Admission Change Not Likely At CMU, The Tartan (Carnegie Mellon's Student Newspaper)

Princeton Cuts Early Decision

Princeton has followed Harvard in deciding to cut its early admissions program. Princeton currently offers Early Decision, which is binding. Harvard is to cut Early Action, which is not binding. The new rules will take effect for the class entering in Fall 2008.

More: Princeton Ends Early Admissions, Week After Harvard, Bloomberg News

Taking aim at admissions anxiety

The Associated Press takes a look at Marilee Jones, the Dean of Admissions at MIT, and her quest to make the college admissions process less stressful for high school students.

Stats Reveal Harvard's Trap

Harvard's decision to drop early action can only hurt the competition, according to an Op-Ed in Sunday's New York Times by David Leonhardt. Included with the essay are revealing collegiate match-ups, and the rates at which accepted students choose one school or the other.

Is early admission unfair?

The Christian Science Monitor is the latest publication to anaylze this week's decision by Harvard to scrap Early Action. The article is worth reading, particularly for those new to the college admisssions process, as it includes useful definitions of regular decision, early decision, early action, and restrictive/single-choice early action. The article also includes the below chart from "Equity And Excellence In American Higher Education."

Admissions Myths

Forbes.com provides its top admissions myths. My favorites are "colleges prefer the SAT to the ACT" and "more extracurriculars are better."

More: The New Business Of College, College Admissions Myths by Melanie Shor

When Early College Admissions Goes Extreme

Time.com provides further analysis of Harvard's decision to end Early Action.

Harvard To End Early Action, And Urgers Others To Follow

Convinced it can set a nationwide trend, Harvard has decided to end its early action admissions program. Harvard said it made the decision so as not to put poor and minority students at a disadvantage and to ease some of the pressure to decide early for the world's the best students. This plan may very well backfire, causing elite students to waive a chance at Harvard for a guaranteed spot at Yale, Princeton, Penn, Dartmouth, etc. Other top universities are wisely taking a wait and see approach.

Opinion/Reaction: Early Unfairness, The Harvard Crimson
Harvard's Fairness Lesson, The Boston Globe
Eliminating Early Admissions, The New York Times
Veritas in College Admissions, Los Angeles Times
Harvard, Ending Early Admissions, Increases Pain, Kevin Hassett Bloomberg News
Harvard's Attempt to Equalize Access, Miami Herald

Getting In To Become Easier?

Applicant Bubble On the Brink of Bursting, The Daily Pennsylvanian (Penn)

As Goes Harvard...

Donald Kagan, a History professor at Yale, writes an intriguing Op-Ed in Commentary Magazine about Harvard's curriculum - of lack there of - and many students and parents may find the information discussed both disturbing and appalling. It is instructive that a school many "experts" declare to be the best in the nation has serious problems like seniors graduating "without being able to write well enough to satisfy their employers."