(no subject)

[ivyfic]

Princeton's ending early admissions!

When I got in (early), I think over half the class was accepted that way. They're doing it to increase the fairness of the admissions, which makes a whole lot of sense. With the whole early game, if you had any desire to go to a school like Princeton you were advised to apply early because that increased your chances, even if you weren't sure and that admission would be binding. It sort of puts applicants in the position of choosing one school they'd like to artificially boost their chances of getting accepted to, which was not the purpose of the program at all.

Tilghman has made herself very pro-diversity at Princeton, which I think the school needs, though she doesn't always go about it the best way. I'm not surprised that's the spin she puts on the decision, though I'm unsure how ending early admissions helps increase diversity specifically.

Still, though. It made my senior year of highschool a whole lot nicer. And saved me from having to fill out ten other applications.

Comments

[veryschway.livejournal.com]

I'm unsure how ending early admissions helps increase diversity specifically.

It helps because like you said, half of the class was filled with early admissions candidates. Early admissions candidates are people who are in a position to go to a certain school no matter what the financial aid packaged offered--they are people for whom money (or at least, a good $200,000 once you include tuition and all the incidental costs of college life) is no object. These people are generally rich white people. Remove early admissions, and now it's no longer built into the admissions process that half the class will always be made up of rich white people, which makes the project of diversifying the student body a little more practicable.

[ivy03.livejournal.com]

I hadn't thought of that. Thanks for clarifying!

[veryschway.livejournal.com]

most welcome! :) I will also hopefully have helpful things to say about the e-mail you sent me--I'm just in the throes of packing to get on a plane tomorrow morning right now. :)

[ivy03.livejournal.com]

No problem. I know that was a bit heavy for early morning.

[(Anonymous)]

easy enough for you! i got in off the waitlist - i had applied early, was deferred and then waitlisted, and THEN i got in. early admission made my senior year rather hellish. :-P i think ending it is a good idea, although, i don't envy being in the position of those admissions officers who now will have to read probably twice as many applications in one space of time. :-P ah well, better for the applicants anyway... (by the way, i think part of the decision to end early admission was pressure from harvard's big announcement last week, whatever tighlman feels about diversity on campus...the cynic in my speaks out :-P)
-mithras

[ivy03.livejournal.com]

My brother was deferred from Dartmouth early then waitlisted then rejected. Yeah, that sucks. I'm not surprised that Princeton is just following Harvard. I wonder if early admissions at all colleges will be discontinued.

[katertoticus.livejournal.com]

They may be doing it for fairness of admissions, but they're also doing it because Harvard did it first.

http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/2006/09.14/99-admissions.html

[katertoticus.livejournal.com]

To clarify, this is not a "woot! Harvard is awesome!" because I'm not nearly there in my thinking...just a comment about how the Ivy schools shape each other's policies. Though there is probably a whole lot more going on behind the scenes than any of us know.

[ivy03.livejournal.com]

I saw that too. Although none of the other Ivy's have started the student grant thing, have they? I was actually surprised to the see the student grant has a cap of 30K, which isn't even one year's tuition, making me wonder if it's as useful as they say it is.

I agree, early admissions doesn't do what it's intended to and should be ended. I'm just surprised they went ahead and made that decision.

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

I have mixed feelings about this, too. I kinda liked knowing ahead of time where I was going, as it saved me much stress and decision-making at the end of Senior year when I was supposed to be cruising. Then again, I realize that I was in a position where I didn't have to worry about the financial aid, and that's a luxury not available to all. I think this is a wise decision, but I think a lot of people are going to sweat about it, not least the admin board who'll be twice as busy between December and April come 2008...