.png){kind=small}
In early to mid-December seniors across the country started to receive early decision/early action results. Once again, this year, our student’s successfully gained entrance to their top choice schools through the early decision process. As has been the trend for the last several years, more students are applying in the early round than ever before, making this early decision/early action round ever more competitive. Double-digit increases at schools like Brown, Dartmouth, Duke, MIT, Penn and Yale put downward pressure on admit rates as the numbers of students admitted in the early round didn’t change substantially.
Early Decision Trends for the Class of 2022
An increase in the early applicant pool was the rule not the exception this year thus dropping the admission rates for some schools. For instance, Brown saw its largest early decision applicant pool ever, with 3,502 applicants, a 10.5% increase. From this, the largest early pool ever at Brown, 738 students were admitted, for an overall early decision admit rate of 21%. Duke posted big gains in early decision as they received 4,090 applicants this fall, a hefty 16% increase and the largest early pool ever However, the admit rate dropped to 21.4%, representing 875 admits. UPenn also saw a big 15% increase in early decision applicants, with 7,074 students submitting applications. 1,312 were admitted, meaning their rate of admission in early dipped to 18.5%. It was 22.03% last year. Northwestern had 4,050 applicants vie for early decision this year. That’s a 6% increase over last year and that’s on top of a 26% increase the year before. 26% were admitted early decision, meaning 1,073 students got the nod in early.
So, who did get in?
More first-generation college applicants and low-income students.Recruiting a more diverse applicant pool continues to be a priority for top colleges. This means more concerted marketing and outreach to these students and their families – and successful ones at that.Recruiting a more diverse applicant pool continues to be a priority for top colleges. This means more concerted marketing and outreach to these students and their families – and successful ones at that.
It’s all about the fit. Students with unique and interesting pursuits – and top scores, grades, awards and honors – made the cut this year. MIT says “…Though they all do different things – baking and beekeeping, powerlifting and politicking, tennis and tensors – they are united by a shared standard of rigorous academics, high characters and a strong match with MIT’s mission to use science, technology, and the useful arts to make the world a better place.”
What does this mean for regular decision? Expect a much tougher regular decision process all the way around, given the surge in early applicants and the percent of each class committed through early programs. Dartmouth notes 47% of the incoming class was admitted through early. Northwestern expects to fill half its class with early decision admits. Penn anticipates 55% of its first-year class to be comprised of early decision students – that might be an ED record.
#College #CollegeAdmission #EssentialCollegeCoaches #EarlyDecision #RightFitisEssential #CollegePlanning
Comments