Rice - ED applications down

Colleges and Universities A-Z Rice University
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<p>I noticed this article in the Rice Thresher.
Any reactions?
I think ED apps could have dropped for two reasons: higher tuition and ease of applying ID. Since the admit rate is the same for ID as for ED, there's not a compelling reason to apply ED.</p>

<p><a href="http://the.ricethresher.org/news/2006/12/01/early_decision_down%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://the.ricethresher.org/news/2006/12/01/early_decision_down&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Early Decision applications down
By Amy Liu | For the Thresher</p>

<p>Early Decision applications declined 14 percent this year, down to 507 applications from last year’s record-high 587.</p>

<p>The decline comes as the Office of Admissions seeks to increase applicants so it can admit a 30-percent larger class in 2009 — and despite expectations that the number of Early Decision applications would continue to increase. Last year, Dean of Undergraduate Enrollment Julie Browning said she expected a national trend of students applying through Early Decision programs to continue.</p>

<p>But Vice President for Enrollment Chris Munoz said a reverse trend may be in effect.</p>

<p>“We have several thousands of applications to go through yet,” Munoz said. “I think it’s really too early, [and] it’s not that helpful in predicting what is going to happen [in this year’s admissions process].”</p>

<p>The drop may reflect a changing attitude toward universities’ early admissions policies, and such a drop is not unique to Rice, Munoz said.</p>

<p>“In the high school counselor world, there are counselors concerned about high school students making commitments [by applying early],” he said.</p>

<p>Munoz said several universities around the country, including Harvard University and Princeton University, eliminated their early admissions programs this year, which may have discouraged some students from applying early decision elsewhere. Rice plans to continue its Early Decision program, Munoz said.</p>

<p>“The main question about Early Decision is [whether] people of financial means were advantaged [by being able to apply early],” Munoz said. “But when we looked into the distribution, we saw that that concern did not hold true at Rice.”</p>

<p>Underrepresented minorities make up a larger percentage of this year’s early admissions applicants than last year, Munoz said. Last year, about 5 percent of the Early Decision applicant pool was black and about 13 percent was Hispanic. Munoz declined to comment specifically on this year’s demographic figures.</p>

<p>“More African-Americans and Hispanics applied Early Decision at a higher rate compared to earlier years, but we’re talking about small numbers of students,” he said.</p>

<p>Munoz said the drop in Early Decision applications does not necessarily reflect anything about the Interim and Regular Decision pools.</p>

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<p>So does that increase my odds of being accepted, since I applied ED? I hope so...</p>

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<p>I also hope that this bodes well and not ill for Early Decision applicants, since I am one myself. With the decrease in ED applications, I wonder if there will be an increase in ID applications, considering ID has almost all the benefits of ED without the binding contract?</p>

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<p>I think this speaks volumes on how underrated (at least in the public view) a school Rice is. </p>

<p>I think it's southern location also shuns potential applicants away. I am from New York, and when I mention Rice to my friends they say "Texas?!?" Many southern schools have the draw of great Greek Life (UVa, Duke, Wake Forest), which is something Rice intentionally does not feature. I personally like the inclusiveness of the Residential College system.</p>

<p>Rice's relatively small size for a school of it's caliber may also be a reason why it isn't as well-known as it should be.</p>