Despite the announcement that Harvard University will soon eliminate its early action admission program, Brown's binding early decision program will remain in place, according to Dean of Admission Jim Miller '73.
"We're not contemplating any changes at the moment," Miller wrote in an e-mail to The Herald. "We will look really hard at our policies in the future on a regular basis to make sure they meet students' needs, but right now our admissions policies will stay the same."
In a Sept. 12 news release, Harvard Interim President Derek Bok said the university will eliminate its non-binding early action program beginning with the class of 2012.
All Ivy League institutions and many colleges nationwide employ some form of early admission program. Students applying under these programs submit their applications in the fall - typically in late October or early November - and receive an admission decision in December, months before students who apply as part of the regular applicant pool.
Brown's binding early decision program requires accepted students to attend the University. Brown admitted 545 students under this program last year, constituting about 22 percent of those admitted and 36 percent of matriculating students for the class of 2010.
Harvard's policy change came in part because administrators there were concerned that early admission policies benefit more affluent students and students who are more knowledgeable about the college admission process, according to the Harvard news release.
"(The) existing process has been shown to advantage those who are already advantaged," Bok said in the news release. He added that students who are accepted early often ease up on their high school coursework.
Though Harvard's existing early admission policy - unlike Brown's program - does not require a firm commitment to matriculate, many low-income or rural students are not knowledgeable enough about the process to understand the difference between this non-binding program and binding early decision programs, Bok said.
Also, low-income students often do not apply under early admission programs because they need to compare financial aid offers from several schools, Bok said.
Brown has in place several programs to make it more feasible for low-income students to apply early, Miller wrote. These include a need-blind admission policy for American applicants as well as the Sidney E. Frank Scholars program, which "has allowed Brown to bring nearly 120 first generation and low income students to the College in the past two years," Miller wrote.
"A number of (Sidney Frank Scholars) are admitted under our early decision program," Miller wrote, noting that the University's "admitted early decision pool closely resembles the admitted class generally."
In addition to concerns about accessibility for all applicants, critics of early admission policies say the programs give unfair advantage to early applicants, citing statistical evidence indicating greater acceptance percentages for students who apply early. For example, Princeton University's binding early decision pool had a 29 percent acceptance rate in 2005, while only 9 percent of applicants from the regular pool were admitted, according to a Sept. 12 report in the New York Times.
Miller dismissed the notion that Brown favors early decision applicants.
"If we believe we would admit the student in March, we will admit them in the (early decision) process," he wrote.
Students at Harvard offered varied responses to Bok's announcement.
"Harvard has made an enlightened and mature decision by ... evening the playing field," said Harvard freshman Leo Kehiler.
James Fish, also a Harvard freshman, was more critical. "What if potential early admits to Harvard get into Princeton or Yale or Stanford or anywhere else early and make their decision accordingly?" Fish asked. "I don't think this new policy will last long."
Brown students interviewed by The Herald had positive feedback regarding the move.
"I agree with (Harvard's) decision," said Ben Colburn '10, adding that early decision applicants tend to be affluent and from schools with effective college counseling resources in place. "They know how to play the college game."
Colburn, who was accepted early to Brown, also said "a lot of kids from the poorer public schools around me didn't even know what early decision was."
Ngoc-Tran Vu '10 said she believes non-binding early action programs, like those in place at Harvard, Yale and Stanford, are preferable to binding early decision programs. "Early action gives the student more power. Early decision gives the institution too much power," Vu said.
One prospective Brown applicant, Jeremy Schmit of New Jersey, defended the program, saying it can reduce the stress of filling out many applications and worrying late into the year. "How would a college recognize who really wants to go there versus someone who is just applying to as many schools as they can?" Schmit asked. "We'll see how it goes."
