<p>Thanks to Carolyn, I recently came across this poignant passage from "College Admission: Failed Rite Of Passage" by Michael G. Thompson, written in 1990.</p>
<p>"The college admission process has no time limits. It has no clear starting point--in many schools it seems to be starting earlier and earlier--and it does not go on forever, despite what we may think. Early admission is fiendish in this regard because it offers two chances to fail. One of the saddest, most destructive aspects of early admission is to watch bright students go through the anxiety of applying early, fail to get in, and then have to repeat the process. Although they may end up being accepted, they spend most of their senior year in emotional turmoil."</p>