U. does not plan to reconsider early decision

In late November, the University of Virginia announced that it would offer an early action option for students applying next fall. Days later, Harvard announced that it would conduct an in-depth review of its decision to eliminate single-choice early action.

In September 2006, all three schools announced that they would eliminate their respective early admission policies, first affecting applicants to the Class of 2012.

Under early decision programs, college applicants can apply to one school early and must enroll if admitted. Early action allows students to apply for early admission to multiple universities but does not require them to attend any particular school. Single-choice early action, currently offered by Yale and Stanford, restricts students to applying to one university but does not require them to accept an admission offer.

The three universities said in 2006 that the change would level the playing field for disadvantaged applicants and expressed the hope that other schools would follow suit.

“Princeton’s commitment to ending early decision has not changed. Moving to a single admission process has made the application process more equitable, which was the intended goal. We cannot speak to the experience other institutions have had,” Rapelye said in a statement to the ‘Prince.’

While the admission office is not currently planning a special review of early admission, Rapelye said, “An annual review [of all admission policies] is done at the end of each year. As we did last summer, we will expect to do it again this summer.”

Harvard has reviewed its 2006 decision every year, but the current review will be more extensive, William Fitzsimmons, Harvard’s dean of admissions and financial aid, told The Harvard Crimson.

Since eliminating early decision, Princeton’s yield has decreased sharply. The University’s two most recent yield rates are 56.9 percent and 58.3 percent, down from the 69.2 percent and 68.0 percent that it garnered for the classes of 2010 and 2011, respectively, which were the last two years to have the option of applying under early decision.

“We knew that when we eliminated early decision it would affect our yield, and, frankly, the yield sort of maintained at a higher level than some expected,” Rapelye said in an interview.

Rapelye explained that the annual reviews analyze how well the University is able to attract applicants and build strong incoming classes. “Clearly, we are very committed to building a multicultural community, to supporting our teams, supporting a vibrant arts committee, and building a robust engineering program,” she said. “Are we achieving the sort of class we hope each year? We look for trends. One year doesn’t necessarily make a trend. It is a multi-year process, not a formula.”

But the success of the University’s decision is reflected in the 38.6 percent increase in the applicant pool size and the equal gender balance found in incoming classes, Rapelye said in the statement.

She also said that the University’s need-based financial aid was a factor in improving the diversity of the applicant pool, noting that 60 percent of students are on financial aid, up from 38 percent a decade ago. In 2001, the University approved a no-loan financial aid policy to replace University loans with outright grants.

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The University holds discussions of its policies on admission and financial aid in private. The Faculty Committee on Undergraduate Admission and Financial Aid advises the administration on both topics, but Rapelye declined to comment on when the committee meets, citing confidentiality. While the committee’s meetings are confidential, Rapelye said in the interview that the University’s decisions to end early admission and lower the number of required SAT subject tests are examples of matters she brought to the committee before announcing them publicly.

Rapelye added that she has not officially been in contact with Fitzsimmons and Greg Roberts, the dean of admission at the University of Virginia, regarding their announcements.

Nevertheless, she said she expects to continue traveling with both schools for joint recruitment events. The three schools have conducted 18-city recruitment tours together since eliminating their respective early admission policies in 2006.

“These trips have allowed us to speak with students, parents and guidance counselors about access, affordability and our generous financial aid policies,” she said in the statement.