<p>Once again early (early) admissions is up for debate and a vote at the National Association for College Admission Counseling conference:</p>
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When it comes to college admissions, how early is too early?... </p>
<p>“What I have seen in the last 12 years in this position is mounting pressure on students and families,” said Diane Freytag, a college counselor at the Overlake School, a private school in Redmond, Wash. “They are made to feel that the earlier, the better, and what often happens is that they make choices that are not well thought out. I think students need the extra time to consider their options. But I know, when I worked on the other side, in college admissions, there was a feeling that the early bird catches the worm, that students who get an early offer are more likely to accept.”</p>
<p>When students ask when they should apply, Mr. Fox said, colleges always answer, “The earlier, the better.”</p>
<p>“The colleges are thinking about building their freshman class,” he continued. “We thought that being accepted to college should be a 12th-grade activity. Actually, a lot of high school counselors thought it should be pushed back later, until the second semester of senior year. If juniors are going to be accepted to college, what are the implications for senior year?”
<p>One day the Colleges will put the needs of the students first- this is about education remember? When that happens all will change. The so-called best schools are good at one thing in my opinion- creating a system that appears fair but in reality creates a cutthroat negative environment. Sorry I think the process is demented and serves the admissions offices only!</p>
<p>I'm not sure I see this as a high-ground/low-ground issue. The issue before the NACAC involves colleges that offer rolling decisions before the late fall of the senior year. These are almost exclusively unselective schools whose offers are non-binding anyway (not ED or SCEA in the sense that's understood here on CC). </p>
<p>I can see the advantages, for certain students at such schools, of simply knowing that they are headed to college the next year:</p>
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At colleges like these, the issue is less calming admissions anxieties than ramping up the pressure to attend college. Open-door community colleges like Iowa Lakes, in Emmetsburg, Iowa, use admissions offers as a springboard to academic counseling.</p>
<p>“We don’t screen them in any way for acceptance,” said Anne Stansbury of Iowa Lakes, who opposes the Sept. 15 policy. “Then, after they’re accepted, we talk about what they need to be successful in college. It’s a carrot you can hold in front of the junior who doesn’t want to take senior math, to say, ‘You’ve been accepted, but you’re not going to be prepared unless you take that class."
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<p>If Amherst or Columbia started admitting students in June, it would be a different matter.</p>
<p>While I agree that the college admissions process has negative aspects, I still don't see how Harvard doing away with its nonbinding EA policy will change much of anything [except perhaps for freeing up admissions people in Nov and Dec for more outreach events but even that is assuming Harvard couldn't have hired additional people for this purpose]. Some of the arguments stated in the Crimson article for doing away with the SCEA policy IMO refer to binding ED policies which was not Harvard's policy. In contrast, for Princeton, it is a positive change to do away with a binding ED practice. I guess it would be interesting to see what additional outreach events Harvard takes on. Its visits along with Duke, Penn, Georgetown to my area-- a very competitive suburban place -- is basically redundant as most everyone here aspires to go to Harvard anyway.</p>
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I guess it would be interesting to see what additional outreach events Harvard takes on.
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<p>Princeton's website and Virginia's already announce a series of joint meetings with Harvard during November, while other colleges are reviewing early-round applications. </p>
<p>why is this such a surprise-disappointment? Some (of us) predicted this would happen -- it's what competition is all about. For example, Wake Forest has had long-standing tradition of accepting ED'ers during the summer based on Junior year grades. If greatgrandaddy, grandaddy, dad, mom, and other family members attended WF, why should the NCAC establish a rule that the scion can't recieve an August accpetance? That is the problem with one-size-fits-all, rule-making, particularly if the rule makers are only from elite, private prep schools and colleges. </p>
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I think students need the extra time to consider their options.
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<p>I agree with Diane, but would insert the word some before students. Not ALL students need to wait until spring of their senior year to validate their "dream" choice. Some, just might be happy attending grandpappy's college. Others might have been hanging on cc since 8th grade and just know that UMich is their first choice. At the highly selective schools, at least ~50% are full pay, so finaid is not an issue for them either.</p>
<p>^^ Agree. Personally, I don't believe in batting 1000. Not gonna happen.</p>
<p>At our house, my boys made a list of 'fit' requirements followed by a list of schools which met those requirements--more or less. There are heaps of schools which 'fit' most assemblies of criteria. There are fantastic faculty in most of the colleges. After they identified schools, then they ranked those schools according to favorites--and applied early to the one at the top of the list in order to gain an admission advantage if one was to be had.</p>
<p>The older one didn't get EA and he is now a senior at a school he never visited. Didn't matter. It 'fit' his criteria and he has had the most amazing experience. The EA school wouldn't have offered such amazing opportunities (enhanced on the advice of one CC poster btw).</p>
<p>The younger one was accepted ED and he too is as happy as Larry. Not everything is perfect, but it is close enough for my boy. I didn't raise him to be a hothouse flower. No way. Bloom where you are planted. That's my message for my global kids.</p>