Wesleyan Early-Decision Applications Up 40%

A New York Times article reported today that Wesleyan Early-Decision Round I applications increased by forty percent. While this year was initially speculated to show a dip in applications, due to the nation’s financial crisis, Wesleyan’s rate is currently unprecedented.

Wesleyan’s competition has also seen significant increases in early-decision applications: Dartmouth, Middlebury at 10 %, Haverford at 14 %, Pomona at 20 %. Wesleyan’s rivals, Williams and Amherst, rates have remained stagnant.

Greg Pyke, Senior Associate Dean of Admissions at Wesleyan remarked on the outstanding increase:
“It’s hard to believe that one group of 17-year-olds has become more decisive than the group you saw the previous year. So maybe it’s that in a time of economic uncertainty, people want something settled.”

To what should we attribute this increase in applications? Could it be due to all of the press Obama conjured for the University this past summer? Or the success of Wesleyan alumni in mainstream music (MGMT, Santogold)? Why are we out-competing our competition?

Read the full article

Harvard ends its "early action" policy

Harvard will be ending its "early action" policy in which high school seniors could apply early and find out their decision by December 15. Obviously, like Wesleyan's own "early decision" program, these kids are given an edge in admissisons as they have already pronounced to the school to which they are applying that if accepted, they will matriculate.

The debate involving the early action is that it favored wealthier students who did not have to weigh financial aid packages (which are typically offered in the spring) before choosing a school and they were getting a leg up in elite admissions.

I'm personally glad Harvard is doing this. It's a good move and soon other schools will fall in line.