<p>Early Decision applications are down this year for Wake Forest, while many other schools ED applications were dramatically higher.</p>
<p>Any theories why ?</p>
<p>Early-Decision</a> Applications Surge at Vanderbilt, George Washington and Dartmouth - NYTimes.com</p>
<p>Wake Forest 401 (as of 11/1/10) 451 (as of 11/1/09) -11.09%</p>
<p>I think there are a few factors at play. </p>
<p>I believe it was last year (for the 2010 class that this data is being compared against) that Wake Forest started offering an EA option for NC residents. Considering that NC residents make up the largest amount of applicants, many of them may have turned to EA rather than ED. Surely, this would gain popularity and more people would choose this rather than the binding ED. I also think that, because of the tough economic times in NC and families want to weigh their options of FA packages. Considering the number went down 50 students, this could be a factor.</p>
<p>Most importantly, we need to look at the deadlines. Wake Forest’s ED deadline is pretty late. For example, Vanderbilt’s deadline is November 1, Wake’s is January 1. That is a pretty big difference. When I applied ED, the deadline was much earlier, so this may just be the trend of applications for ED coming in later and later to accommodated the January 1 deadline. The next latest deadline listed (besides NYU’s who they put an asterisk next to) is November 20. In short, I am not worried about our numbers lagging at all.</p>
<p>Overall, I expect to see another healthy boost in the number of people applying to Wake Forest. I think that that the school is really working hard to become more national/international in scope.</p>
<p>Thanks Ulysses for posting this article–very interesting stuff.</p>
<p>how many people in the ED pool at Wake Forest are accepted/denied/deferred? I have been searching for these statistics but I am having some difficulty. I would think since both of you have posted two interesting things about Wake’s ED, one of you might possibly know?</p>
<p><a href=“Home - Office of Institutional Research”>Home - Office of Institutional Research;
<p>The best answer to your questions is found in the CDS. This is the most recent one - from 2009-10.</p>
<p>This shows that 805 students applied ED and 337 were accepted for the Fall of 2009. This info is in section C21.</p>
<p>So - there does appear to be a substantial drop in ED applicants - not sure why. I also follow Elon very closely and they also had a substantial drop in ED applicants this year - again - have no idea why these 2 schools saw a decrease when many others have had increases.</p>
<p>I should add that the 2011 PR shows 671 ED applicants with a 51% acceptance rate. So again, over the past 3 years - a steady drop in ED applications. Although as Willmington said - we won’t know the final number until after 1/1/11.</p>
<p>Is wake worth doing ED to? I feel like im just gonna get rejected anyhow if i do</p>
<p>my gpa is like a 3.5</p>
<p>did you interview</p>
<p>Also, we can’t discount the factor of many NC residents, who would have applied ED, are now applying EA. And with more people strapped for money, it makes sense.</p>
<p>iwantyale, that is a pretty terrible attitude. ED is for people who do not have doubts about where they want to go. If you get rejected ED, you would have gotten rejected RD anyway. However, many people are deferred and the fact that you applied ED will give you points for your RD application.</p>
<p>willmington - agree with you - the EA option is probably skewing things a bit.</p>
<p>My suggestion to anyone who has Wake as their top choice - and who is not dependent on receiving substantial FA - is to go for it and apply ED. Your odds are better than RD. If you get deferred - so send mid-year grades and other new accomplishments. And if you are rejected, so you hopefully have applied to other schools as well and you move on. But if you love the school - why not go for it?</p>
<p>Where did you get the ED stats? Perhaps lower because Wake’s reputation as “Work Forest,” with overall lower GPAs that negatively affect graduate school admission.</p>
<p>off topic, but not really…there were a number of top schools not on that NYTimes list by the way…</p>
<p>It is just possible that there were more schools with drops in ED applications that were not recorded…</p>
<p>I find it hard to believe that it was just these two schools from across the entire spectrum of colleges who saw that drop…</p>
<p>Stats are from published article in NYT web site , questions regarding accuracy of stats or inclusion of other top schools should be sent to the author , You can reach Mr. Steinberg by sending e-mail to <a href="mailto:thechoicenyt@gmail.com">thechoicenyt@gmail.com</a>.</p>
<p>Willmingtonwave’s theory would be right–except that Wake Forest discontinued the EA option for NC students for applicants in fall 2010. My family had visited in fall 2009 and were interested to learn of the EA option. My D worked hard to complete the application by November 15, but the website had no information about EA this year, the Common App for Wake didn’t have a space in which to choose it, and the person who answered the phone in admissions at Wake said that EA wasn’t available this year.</p>
<p>Brave: I think a number of CC members actually did email Mr Steinberg re: other schools;
I don’t think the NYTimes is permitted to solicit the numbers: there is mention in the article that if any schools want to be included, to contact them…</p>
<p>Honestly, it will all become evident when the numbers come out from all the schools later on…although, I don’t think it will be obvious why some schools saw ridiculous increases while others saw decreases…</p>
<p>there was a discussion on another thread that ALOT of the increase in ED’s at many of the schools came from international applicants (where the economy may be stronger than here)…since the ED numbers are not broken down into domestic v international applicants, that would be hard to verify unless someone from one of these schools comes out and says it…</p>
<p>I think I found the answer. </p>
<p>Last year in 2009-2010, the ED deadline for Wake Forest was November 15. That is a huge difference–1.5 months–in the time that applicants have until their ED materials are due. </p>
<p><a href=“http://www.wfu.edu/new/publications/students/2009-2010-viewbook.pdf[/url]”>http://www.wfu.edu/new/publications/students/2009-2010-viewbook.pdf</a></p>
<p>Iwantyale: I applied (regular decision) with a 3.588888 or something along those lines.</p>
<p>If Wake is truly the school you want to attend (and not Yale ;)) then definitely apply Early Decision – it couldn’t hurt.</p>
<p>Hey everyone
I applied 11/1, but Wake didn’t receive my financial document and TOEFL scores until about Nov. 17th. When should I expect to hear back? (I am an international applicant)</p>