DanMcQ
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Post by DanMcQ on Jan 16, 2008 20:50:29 GMT -5
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Jack
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 3,411
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Post by Jack on Jan 16, 2008 21:11:59 GMT -5
You rang?
Well I wouldn't say I expected to see Harvard jump that dramatically, and I imagine they wouldn't say that either. I would have expected their numbers to be up at least slightly though, more in line with Princeton and UVA, and mostly due to the noted demographic uptick- there are more kids applying to college this year than ever before, and that trend will continue for another 2 or 3 years as I recall before the demographics turn back down.
Harvard is a unique situation- they are the undisputed heavyweight champeen, and every kid who was going to apply to Harvard under their old Early Action program is still applying Regular Decision- they want Harvard and they did not apply to a binding Early Decision school elsewhere to scuttle their chances. What's more, Harvard got awesome publicity from this move last year and, coupled with their impressive financial aid initiatives, they have likely succeeded in broadcasting that they are truly accessible to everyone (never mind that 8% admit rate). Finally, they probably shared more applicants with UVA and Princeton than ever before- keep in mind that last year 2,000 kids would have been admitted ED to one of those schools and could never have applied to Harvard at all, now many of them will end up in their pool.
So clearly Harvard, Princeton, and UVA have not harmed themselves and may have even helped themselves. What remains to be seen is whether these new policies have done anything useful for the college-bound population at large. I suspect that the application numbers will be way up in many places, with demographics being part of the equation but also proliferation of multiple applications in the most uncertain year in recent history. The 3,000 or so students who would have gotten into Harvard, Princeton, or UVA early in previous years now have not gotten in anywhere binding, and they are each likely to be sending out an average of 10 applications or more each, so right away there are 30,000 more applications to be spread around the elite colleges, and not a single additional highly qualified student. Yield time is going to be lots of fun this year.
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DFW HOYA
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
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Post by DFW HOYA on Jan 17, 2008 7:50:12 GMT -5
Could the bump be a result not of the EA decision, but the change in financial aid award guidelines?
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theexorcist
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
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Post by theexorcist on Jan 17, 2008 8:34:38 GMT -5
"But Fitzsimmons and Princeton and Virginia admissions officers cautioned that they could not make final conclusions about the effect of eliminating early admissions policies, a move that they hope other schools will make. The number of applicants has been rising at many colleges around the nation because of an increase in the high school-age population, and Harvard this year also announced a new initiative that offered more financial aid to middle- and higher-income families. The universities also cannot analyze the economic diversity of their applicants until after February, when students apply for financial aid. "
For those who disagree, I have a rock that protects against lion attacks. Contact me if you'd like to buy it.
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Post by ExcitableBoy on Jan 17, 2008 9:46:31 GMT -5
"The universities also cannot analyze the economic diversity of their applicants until after February, when students apply for financial aid. " For those who disagree, I have a rock that protects against lion attacks. Contact me if you'd like to buy it. 1. While universities technically might not be able to truly analyze the economic diversity of their students till February, there are certainly plenty of proxies that can be used on the application. If you saw an application from Tucker Q. Witherspoon III, a squash enthusiast from an east coast boarding school, you might draw some conclusions based on that, right? Not to get too off track, but the same goes for ethnicity questions (or a lack thereof) on applications. 2. No need for your rock. My wallet also apparently protects against lion attacks as I've never been attacked while carrying it. |
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Jack
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
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Post by Jack on Jan 17, 2008 9:57:42 GMT -5
1. While universities technically might not be able to truly analyze the economic diversity of their students till February, there are certainly plenty of proxies that can be used on the application. If you saw an application from Tucker Q. Witherspoon III, a squash enthusiast from an east coast boarding school, you might draw some conclusions based on that, right? Not to get too off track, but the same goes for ethnicity questions (or a lack thereof) on applications. Part of the problem is that universities like Harvard (and Georgetown) have long been using race as their proxy for socieoeconomic diversity, and it is totally unfair to poor students who do not come from ethnic minorities. In most cases those students have overcome just as much adversity and prejudice to be high achievers, but because they cannot be quantified in a PC way, admitting them confers little to no PR benefit for the university. The goal of these expanded financial aid programs, including GSP at GU, is to get more socioeconomic diversity into the applicant pool. The next step must be to give those students a "thumb on the scale" in the admissions process if elite colleges truly wants to be agents for social change and upward mobility. It raises interesting questions, though, about what it means to be "need-blind." |
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tgo
Silver Hoya (over 500 posts)
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Post by tgo on Jan 17, 2008 11:00:27 GMT -5
I have a rock that protects against lion attacks. specious reasoning or not, if it keeps tigers away... i would like to buy your rock |
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Jack
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 3,411
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Post by Jack on Jan 26, 2008 18:04:39 GMT -5
Applications up everywhere, including GU, which is almost 19,000 after breaking 16,000 for the first time last year. tinyurl.com/2r7hs2 |
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Post by ExcitableBoy on Jan 28, 2008 10:09:35 GMT -5
Applications up everywhere, including GU, which is almost 19,000 after breaking 16,000 for the first time last year. tinyurl.com/2r7hs2Well, not exactly everywhere |
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bubbrubbhoya
Golden Hoya (over 1000 posts)
We are the intuitive minds that plot the course. Woo-WOOO!
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Post by bubbrubbhoya on Jan 28, 2008 15:17:14 GMT -5
Applications up everywhere, including GU, which is almost 19,000 after breaking 16,000 for the first time last year. tinyurl.com/2r7hs2Well, not exactly everywhereApparently that City Paper article on WG's tuition is having national effect...or WG blows. |
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