Admissions, calendar to be reviewed

The undergraduate admissions process and academic year will be examined next fall as administrators consider making changes that would align Princeton more closely with its peers.

The academic calendar will be reviewed by the Committee for the Course of Study, which oversees changes to the curriculum. The committee is chaired by Dean of the College Nancy Malkiel, with Associate Dean of the College Hank Dobin serving as secretary. It also comprises nine elected faculty members and representatives from the Academic Committee of the USG.

"It has been about 15 years since the issue had been raised, and it seemed as though it was time to review where we are," President Tilghman said in an email.

Meanwhile, the Admission Office announced it has hired a firm to research prospective students' views on the application process, including the Early Decision program.

Dean of Admission Janet Rapelye said at a CPUC meeting that the Admission Office has hired the D.C.-based public relations firm Widmeyer Communications to conduct research on current and prospective students' views regarding the University.

The firm will also focus on prospective students' opinions regarding a switch to the Early Action plan, which would allow students to apply early without compelling them to attend if admitted.

"We look annually at all of our admissions processes. We are reviewing everything we do, including ED," Rapelye said. "We'll look at what the research says and then make a decision."

A unique schedule

Malkiel said that, given the length of time since the academic calendar was last discussed, it was "appropriate to open a general discussion next year about whether that calendar still serves us well in accomplishing our educational objectives."

The committee will focus on three parts of the calendar: semester length, the timing of the exams and whether fall break should coincide with Thanksgiving.

"We're one of the few schools that have this schedule structure, so it begs the question about whether or not we should look at changing it," said Undergraduate Life Chair Tom Brown '07, one of the students who raised this issue with the administration.

Harvard, the only other Ivy League school on a schedule similar to Princeton's, will hold a faculty vote later this spring on whether to revamp their current calendar and curriculum. One of the proposed changes is the inclusion of a month-long January term, or J-term, between the spring and fall semesters, during which students would be able to pursue elective courses.

Brown called the academic calendar an "unaddressed issue," and said that the committee will consider the impact of the current academic calendar on study abroad programs, athletic teams and student stress.

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Malkiel said the committee will consider issues like how well the schedule is currently working, whether it enables the University to accomplish its educational objectives and what things need to be reconsidered or improved.

Admissions update

Though the University is researching the possible benefits of Early Action admissions, Rapelye said the University will not switch from its binding Early Decision plan next year.

"I don't even know whether we'll ever go to [Early Action]," Rapelye said.

In recent years, several universities, including Yale and Stanford, have switched to Early Action.

Rapelye discussed possible technological changes for next year, including an online checklist for applicants as they proceed through the application process and an online notification board for admissions decisions.

Rapelye said she hopes the research will shed light on "good and bad stereotypes, myths and outright misconceptions" about the University.

Out of the 1,807 students accepted for the Class of 2009, 67.6 percent decided to enroll at the University. That number translates to just above the target class size of 1,220.

A University's yield — the number of admitted students who choose to enroll — is considered to be a good measure of its competitiveness. This year's 67.6 percent yield is marginally less than last year's 67.8 percent. Harvard reported a slight increase in their yield to 80 percent, while Yale expects 70 percent of its admitted students to enroll.