The Times blog has had Greg Roberts, dean of admission at UVA, answering questions about early admission programs.Yesterday we saw about 75 applications go out into some kind of early admission program.
Last time I counted, I identified only a handful of highly selective schools that do not have an early admission program.
The University of Southern California, UC-Berkeley, and UT-Austin - these are the only three I found that have the traditional "Regular" admission program.
Everyone else is trying to get a jump start on engineering a class profile that has the highest potential yield.
Higher yield = solvent financial revenue stream + potentially higher ranking!
Here then are some of the questions posed on The Times blog that Mr. Roberts takes time to answer.
Q If a student is on an upward trajectory in terms of grades and course rigor, and the fall senior year performance will strengthen the application, then the student should apply regular decision, as that would give schools a chance to consider this information in their review.
Q My son has great SAT scores, extracurriculars and grades, but four other high-performing students at his academic magnet are applying early action to the same university he is applying to.
He is using early action strategically to improve his chances of admission to a competitive school. Strategically, is it better for him to apply elsewhere for early action, given the unlikeliness of the coveted school admitting five students from one high school?
Click here to read responses.
Q Are there any disadvantages to applying early action, from an admission or financial aid standpoint?
Q Students often consider applying early decision because they think it will increase their chances of admission. Do some colleges admit a higher percentage of early decision applicants because they prefer to have students who have made that college their clear first choice? Or are early decision acceptance rates higher primarily because the applicants are recruited athletes or children of alumni? Should applicants try to figure out why early decision acceptance rates are higher than regular admission rates?
Click here to read responses.
Q My son is in his junior year and has been an average student thus far, done quite well on his PSAT and is taking several A.P. classes and doing better every year grade-wise. He rows competitively and hopes to continue in college. He has his heart set on attending a state university that has a fairly competitive admission process. Does it increase his chances if he applies early, showing that if he was offered admission he would accept as this is his first-choice school?
Q Can I apply to the College of William and Mary early decision at the same time I am applying to the University of Virginia early action?
Q Does applying to the University of Virginia early action hurt the applicant’s chances for admission as an Echols Scholar?
Click here to read responses.
