<p>why would Penn lower the early admission rate simply because there are more applicants this year? someone explain this to me.</p>
<p>I still wonder how anyone knows how much of the class ED makes up in % for each school. All we know is that around 47% of the entire class is taken from ED - but it might be much different for Wharton than, say for the College, especially since Wharton is so much smaller (and affects the total number less).</p>
<p>starry - They have come out and said they intend to keep the number of ppl(the same % of the total class) taken from the ED pool close to the same as it's been. So that means you are taking the same number of ppl from a larger pool. Therefore the acceptance rate goes down.</p>
<p>This signals the end of ED. Next year they will all switch to SCEA.</p>
<p>I don't agree with that at all. Penn wants a lot of people to apply ED, so that they can have a more competitve class. Penn really wants kids who really want them, and ED is the best way to reflect this.</p>
<p>ED is much better for the institution- they don't have to worry about courting the kids who they really really want who do SCEA. If you're a recruited football player and you get accepted to Yale SCEA, and you're like HUGE and everyone wants you, than they have to shove themselves in your face. :p</p>
<p>i don't understand the "50% rule". is there a point in keeping it 47 percent instead of 49.5 percent or even 55 percent? whats the big deal. there's a 21% increase, so treat it as such. worry about rd later.</p>
<p>Yeah, but schools run the risk of losing kid's single "ED shot" if they start to feel there's an equal chance of getting in RD. So the schools have to be careful that doesn't happen.</p>
<p>Because there would be huge riots (by people like me!) if ED went over the established limit. They are a selective university, and if they want more prestige, this is a great way to go about it. What better way to lower their acceptance rate? You don't accept more just because there are more! You reject more! That lowers your acceptance rate! Booyeah! And what if RD is stronger than expected? Than they would have to increase both sizes and they can't do it.</p>
<p>I think the schools don't want to drive away RD applications if ppl start to think there's no chance to get in RD (since they are already taking so many ED). Right now Penn has one of the more aggressive ED programs.</p>
<p>There are schools that have gone over the 50% line in the past. I think Columbia did one year, but I might be mixing it up with another school.</p>
<p>The ED game could only go on as long as it was a semi-secret that it conferred a huge advantage. With a 20% increase in applicants, the word is all over the place. Next stop, SCEA.</p>
<p>That sounds right to me. Not like next year, but if this trend continues, than ED loses its credibility. I expect all the ivies to move to SCEA at some point, but Penn is probably next. :)</p>
<p>The only thing that might prevent it is if they can hold off until after the Class of 2012 - predicted to be the largest ever, even bigger than ours. After that apps will start to decline again.</p>
<p>mensa160, that made absolutely no sense. There is always will be an advantage during ED. Penn won't have SCEA for a few decades to come.</p>
<p>They can't keep up this level of ED.</p>
<p>hm... but if they receive that much qualified applicants for ED... wont they take all of them?? isn't it better to have qualified applicants who really want to be in Penn, then qualified RD applicants, who may have been rejected early by Harvard/Yale/Cornell and whatsoever?</p>
<p>the acceptance rate last year for early decision was 34.2%</p>
<p>so this year it will prolly be 28%</p>
<p>going by last years number accepted during ed</p>
<p>
[quote]
. wont they take all of them??
[/quote]
They would. It's just that regular decision applicants (and their parents) will get on the school's back if they take more than 50%</p>
<p>ahh, it's a private institution... what are THEY gonna do? very sorry to those applying rd, but if penn chose to do that, isn't that just reinforcing the idea of ed? giving an advantage? if those rd kids truly wanted to go to penn they would've applied ed</p>