Early Aps Raise Diversity Question

The wealthy and well-counseled have traditionally dominated Harvard's early admission pool, but the admissions office maintains that this year's 9.3 percent jump in early applicants will not skew the class of 2003.

"It is true that the early application process has a much richer clientele than regular action," say William R. Fitzsimmons '67, dean of admissions and financial aid.

However, Fitzsimmons says the "competitive edge," or the level of achievement necessary for admission, does not vary much from year to year, regardless of whether the most qualified students apply in the early process or the regular one. Nor does the more affluent background of the early applicant pool mean that the diversity of the class changes, he says.

The mathematical odds are worse for regular admission candidates, if the College admits a large percentage of the class in early admissions, as happened last year.

Last year, approximately half of the class-or about 20 to 25 percent of the early applicant pool--was admitted early. The acceptance rate of regular applicants was significantly lower at 8 to 10 percent to fill the remaining half of the class.

Fitzsimmons says it is actually harder to get in early, because the staff is more conservative in trying not to over-admit.

Nonetheless, early applications continue to rise steadily, leading to what some call a "frenzy."

"The early admissions mania has spread," says B. Ann Wright, chief public relations officer at Smith College and an expert on college admissions and financial aid.

Originally intended for college-bound students who had already decided on their top choices, the earlyapplication option has now become a mainstay formany high school seniors, Wright says.

"There's no question that some of the peoplehave made their decisions too early," Fitzsimmonssays.

Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis '68expresses similar reservations.

"People really learn a lot during their senioryear about themselves and about what they wantfrom colleges and what various colleges can givethem," he says. "It is too bad that people arefeeling railroaded into making decisions early."

With the stakes raised in the game of highereducation, some students can be left out. Wrightsays this group tends to come from disadvantagedor under-represented backgrounds.

Fitzsimmons agrees that Harvard's earlyapplication pool generally has fewer minority andfinancial aid-seeking applicants, but this yearunder-represented groups began to catch up in theearly pool.

Applications from black students were up 27percent, and applications from Hispanic studentsrose 23 percent. International applications,typically scarce in the early application pool,rose 30 percent, and the financial aid portion ofthe pool rose from 65 percent to 71 percent thisyear.

A shift toward earlier admissions may actuallyhelp those who are less privileged, says Frank J.Balz, vice president of the National Associationof Independent Colleges and Universities.

As the admissions process begins earlier andearlier in a student's career, it requires morethought and planning, and Balz says students andparents need to be on the right academic andfinancial tracks, taking the right courses andsaving earlier for college.

"Early admissions means colleges have to startreaching students to make sure they are awareearlier," Balz says. "It' requires more intensiverecruiting."

The College's admissions recruitment campaignsare starting earlier than in previous years.

"Harvard does more spring time travel than itused to, and in general more recruiting ofjuniors," Lewis says, though he notes that this islargely because other colleges use earlyadmissions.

For the last decade, the admissions office haspartnered up with other competitive colleges tovisit high schools across the country together.

Fitzsimmons says the joint presentations andquestion-and-answer sessions have helped to "levelthe playing fields" by reaching students who mightotherwise slip through the cracks.

On these trips, the admissions officers meetnot only with students, but also with parents andguidance counselors, helping to expand theirrecruiting network.

But while successful recruiting may offset someof the advantages of privilege in the earlyadmissions process and encourage minorities andlower-class students to think about collegeearlier, it is not a panacea.

Balz says the focus of the college admissionshas moved up to the end of junior year andtherefore may exclude students who are not reachedby the recruiters.

But both Lewis and Jeremy R. Knowles, dean ofthe Faculty, defend Harvard's program because itis an early action process, and does not requirestudents to come if accepted.

Fitzsimmons also adds that the trend towardsearly application is not a new one, but in factgoes back more than 10 years.

"Students today are much more sophisticated,"he says. "They need more information earlier."

Fitzsimmons says greater media attention,particularly in magazines, as well as an increasein college-educated parents, has made high-schoolstudents aware about college at any earlier stageand more apt to apply early.

What is more, Fitzsimmons says the trend willprobably continue in the next few years, though itwill eventually level off.

"It's not inconceivable that the early poolwill go as high as 5,000 [applicants], thoughprobably not to 6,000," he says. This year, earlyapplications grew by 9.3 percent, to 4,604

"There's no question that some of the peoplehave made their decisions too early," Fitzsimmonssays.

Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis '68expresses similar reservations.

"People really learn a lot during their senioryear about themselves and about what they wantfrom colleges and what various colleges can givethem," he says. "It is too bad that people arefeeling railroaded into making decisions early."

With the stakes raised in the game of highereducation, some students can be left out. Wrightsays this group tends to come from disadvantagedor under-represented backgrounds.

Fitzsimmons agrees that Harvard's earlyapplication pool generally has fewer minority andfinancial aid-seeking applicants, but this yearunder-represented groups began to catch up in theearly pool.

Applications from black students were up 27percent, and applications from Hispanic studentsrose 23 percent. International applications,typically scarce in the early application pool,rose 30 percent, and the financial aid portion ofthe pool rose from 65 percent to 71 percent thisyear.

A shift toward earlier admissions may actuallyhelp those who are less privileged, says Frank J.Balz, vice president of the National Associationof Independent Colleges and Universities.

As the admissions process begins earlier andearlier in a student's career, it requires morethought and planning, and Balz says students andparents need to be on the right academic andfinancial tracks, taking the right courses andsaving earlier for college.

"Early admissions means colleges have to startreaching students to make sure they are awareearlier," Balz says. "It' requires more intensiverecruiting."

The College's admissions recruitment campaignsare starting earlier than in previous years.

"Harvard does more spring time travel than itused to, and in general more recruiting ofjuniors," Lewis says, though he notes that this islargely because other colleges use earlyadmissions.

For the last decade, the admissions office haspartnered up with other competitive colleges tovisit high schools across the country together.

Fitzsimmons says the joint presentations andquestion-and-answer sessions have helped to "levelthe playing fields" by reaching students who mightotherwise slip through the cracks.

On these trips, the admissions officers meetnot only with students, but also with parents andguidance counselors, helping to expand theirrecruiting network.

But while successful recruiting may offset someof the advantages of privilege in the earlyadmissions process and encourage minorities andlower-class students to think about collegeearlier, it is not a panacea.

Balz says the focus of the college admissionshas moved up to the end of junior year andtherefore may exclude students who are not reachedby the recruiters.

But both Lewis and Jeremy R. Knowles, dean ofthe Faculty, defend Harvard's program because itis an early action process, and does not requirestudents to come if accepted.

Fitzsimmons also adds that the trend towardsearly application is not a new one, but in factgoes back more than 10 years.

"Students today are much more sophisticated,"he says. "They need more information earlier."

Fitzsimmons says greater media attention,particularly in magazines, as well as an increasein college-educated parents, has made high-schoolstudents aware about college at any earlier stageand more apt to apply early.

What is more, Fitzsimmons says the trend willprobably continue in the next few years, though itwill eventually level off.

"It's not inconceivable that the early poolwill go as high as 5,000 [applicants], thoughprobably not to 6,000," he says. This year, earlyapplications grew by 9.3 percent, to 4,604