[quote] Early Decision Admissions Reach All-Time High
Applicants making Northwestern their first choice double over five years December 18, 2012 | by Pat Vaughan Tremmel</p>
<p>EVANSTON, Ill. --- Northwestern University admitted a record 885 students through early decision this year, or 43 percent of the expected entering class for next year. That percentage is an all-time high and up from 40 percent last year.</p>
<p>Admissions officials said that, academically, it was the University’s strongest admit group ever -- and Northwestern’s most diverse early decision cohort as well.
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<p>The percentage of the class admitted through Early Decision is creeping up every year!</p>
<p>But remember guys! 1,100 doesn’t mean they’re only accepting 1,100! They’re going to accept a lot more since not everyone will choose Northwestern if accepted regular decision round.</p>
<p>^ This is scary yet interesting at the same time!!
One… We in the RD round are fighting for lesser spots!
But, also maybe those with stellar stats who really wanted to get into Northwestern have applied ED and so lesser competition in RD?</p>
<p>“Admissions officials said that, academically, it was the University’s strongest admit group ever – and Northwestern’s most diverse early decision cohort as well.” So either that could mean that the ED sucked some of the academically strong from the pool, but it could mean that the pool is stronger in general. I literally didn’t help at all. Good luck though</p>
<p>I figure its better leave it up to the adcoms to decide!! If I get in, then GREAT & if I don’t, well then - no regrets. But I doubt I’ll be this carefree as the decisions date approaches!!
Anyway ^ this is straying away from the topic.</p>
<p>Maybe NW is admitting more no. of EDs fearing that if they defer them, then they might get accepted by the likes of Pton, Harvard, etc??</p>
<p>NU is admitting more ED because it was one of the strongest they’ve ever had, and it makes for a high yield. If you have a chance at locking in a really strong class, then it increases your stats and your yield. which are great for rankings. It doesn’t help the RD people, but it helps the school, haha.</p>
<p>Northwestern is admitting more ED’s for several clear reasons.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Yearly ED applicant numbers have risen dramatically (there were 8% more applicants this year than last and numbers have doubled in the past 5 years)</p></li>
<li><p>The quality of the pool of applicants keeps increasing yearly (stats of this year’s group were the highest in NU’s history)</p></li>
<li><p>With ED’ers now representing 43% of freshmen, Northwestern has caught up with the crowd, differing little from other similar academic institutions (e.g. Duke at 44%, Penn at 49%)</p></li>
<li><p>And most importantly, President Shapiro has made it clear he wants to assemble a freshman class that “declare that this is their dream school” (what better way to guarantee a happy and cohesive student body?). It is he who has driven changes in NU’s admission policies.</p></li>
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<p>^ item 4 - what better way to declare their love than apply ED? Why bother admitting a bunch more people in RD hoping they would come when these people have declared their love.</p>