Harvard flunks its early admission program
For years colleges have competed for the best students just as aggressively as students compete for a spot at the best schools. Early decision admissions–often predicated on a binding commitment that the student attend if accepted–were considered one of the best ways for colleges to attract and retain the brightest applicants.
That's why Harvard University's announcement today that it is ending its early admission program represents a significant repudiation of that model, which some argue contributes to the lack of socioeconomic diversity in higher education. "Many perceived [early decision] as advantaging the advantaged," says William Fitzsimmons, the dean of admissions at Harvard College.
Early decision was an innovative system when popularized in the 1990s. Students benefited, as a greater percentage were admitted to the freshman class from the early decision pool than the regular group, and colleges saw the average quality of their student bodies improve. (Last year, Harvard sent fat acceptance letters to 21 percent of its 4,214 early decision applicants and 7 percent of the 18,582 regular applicants.) Moreover, the schools could count on early decision students actually accepting their offers of admissions, rather than selecting another school later in the process.
Unfortunately, early decision arguably left out many qualified students who needed to compare financial aid packages from different universities in addition to applicants who were unable to meet the early decision deadlines (generally in November, as opposed to January for regular decision).
The move is unlikely to hurt the quality of the school. Harvard is hardly hurting for applicants, and it offers to completely fund the cost of an undergraduate education for all students who come from families making below $60,000 per year. But, perhaps, Fitzsimmons and education reformers hope, the move will at the very least start a national debate about the effects of early decision programs. "This is an admission from higher ed that they are part of the problem and that they are willing to show the leadership necessary to correct the inequities," says Lloyd Thacker, executive director of the Education Conservancy, a group that works for higher education reform.
Harvard says that it is considering a series of meetings around the country for admissions counselors, college admissions officers, and students to continue the debate. And it is looking for other schools to follow its lead. "We hope we get a lot of company in this decision," Fitzsimmons says.
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