Early decision burdens students

Next week, a large number of high school seniors will get important envelopes in the mail. Skinny ones mean disappointment and fat ones are a ticket to the future: early admissions college acceptance.

On the surface, early admissions seem like a great idea. You demonstrate to a school how eager you are to go there, it accepts you and before winter break, college is no longer an issue, and the next four years of your life are decided.

Early admission is pretty competitive, and it means schools get highly motivated, well-qualified students. But that doesn't mean those students are well-suited to that university or that they've made the best decision for themselves.

Applying to college is a daunting process. The summer between junior and senior year, large, glossy brochures pile up in the mailbox, each announcing the spectacular and unique features a particular school has to offer, promising new friends, intellectual stimulation, ivy-covered halls and championship sports teams.

And if you're like many prospective college students, you aren't even sure what you want to study. Although a university might be really wonderful overall, it still may not be the best place for you.

Granted, there are some important factors that make early decision an attractive option for prospective students.

As soon as you know where you'll be going, you can begin planning. Finding housing, buying an appropriate wardrobe and other practical concerns certainly are easier to handle when you have more time to think about them.

And there's no denying that, as a qualified candidate, getting into a college early is easier than going through regular admission. Of early decision applicants to Penn for the Class of 2009, 34.2 percent were admitted. Penn's overall admissions rate is about 20 percent over the past few years, with the regular decision admission rate being between 16 and 17 percent.

But should prospective students take this gamble? There's a heavy load of evidence to the contrary.

The early decision process can be very limiting. In most cases, a student is required to matriculate to that university if accepted and must withdraw applications from other institutions.

While this means you're definitely in, early admissions poses a problem for students seeking financial aid. One of the advantages to applying to several otherwise comparable schools is shopping around for the best financial aid package.

Given the high cost of tuition, this is no small concern. Once admitted early decision, however, students are generally constrained to accept the financial aid package offered them because they have no other viable choice.

Early decision acceptees also make it harder for regular admissions candidates to get into their school of choice. Large numbers of the available slots in a given class are already taken by the time their applications are considered.

About 48 percent of Penn's Class of 2009 was accepted early.

Another factor that makes early decision applications problematic is something with which many college seniors can identify. Sometimes your high school academic program lacks cohesion, despite hard work and insight on your part, right up into senior year.

Your junior year grades and academic record may not tell the whole story about your capabilities. Early decision applications are due Nov. 1. They thus may easily neglect some of the most important achievements a student may make in his or her high school career.

School is a process, after all. By the time we're seniors, we're very different people than we were as freshmen or even as juniors. College decisions should take that into account.

As students, high schoolers are faced with a great deal of pressure. A lot depends on your choice of school. In such a high-stakes situation, students owe it to themselves to make the best informed decision and not be swayed by the siren call of an easy way out.

Some kids do know exactly what they want in November of their senior year in high school. However, they are a small minority. The vast majority of bright, well-qualified students is not well served by the early decision option.

Admissions officials should not put students in this position. Students and universities would be much better served b y a single admissions process.

Leveling the playing field would give talented candidates an open shot. And schools would be better for it.

Edith Mulhern is a senior French, international relations and history majorfrom Ardmore, Pa. Voice of the Sparrow appears on Fridays.

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