Understanding and Improving the Early Decision Admission Process
In recent days and weeks, the early decision (ED) admissions process has been back in the news, from a decision made by Tulane University to a recent class action lawsuit filed against over 30 colleges and universities alleging price fixing and violations of federal antitrust laws.
Rather than offering yet another piece responding to this news or painting with broad strokes about how ED is used to only admit wealthy applicants or highly sought after recruited student-athletes with mediocre academic profiles, I would like to correct misconceptions echoed by students/families, counselors, and outside observers as well as offer suggestions for colleges and universities to improve the ED admissions process for all.
“Schools Admit Half of their Class Through ED”
This is one of the most common refrains echoed by those who see Early Decision as nothing more than a cash grab by schools to lock down as many students without having the added pressure to “yield” them (converting an admitted student to an enrolled one). While a school like Tulane might fit this profile in the court of public opinion, it is much more often that schools enroll close to half of their class through ED (in the case of Tulane at least 60%).
Figure 1 data table (Tulane ED Data) can be viewed here
If I could extract something troubling from Figure 1, it is the drastic difference between the admission rates of ED versus all other rounds. However, the percentage of admitted students coming from ED hovers from 25% to 35%: still a significant number but not half as folks sometimes claim.
Figure 2 data table (Other Highly-Selective College/University ED Data) can be viewed here
Drawing upon a small sample of other highly selective colleges and universities, the reliance on ED as an enrollment tool is readily apparent. However, the percentage of total admits who applied ED still ranges from 17% to 35%, with the largest share coming from smaller research universities.
As with the Tulane-specific data, Figure 2 demonstrates the clear advantage of applying ED versus RD in terms of overall admission likelihood, but the majority of students admitted by these colleges do not come from the ED pool. At Amherst, for example, around 1000 non-ED students were still admitted in the Fall of 2024. Additionally, the large percentage of ED admits comprising a college/university’s enrolled class demonstrates that RD applicant “yield” is a challenge faced by nearly all schools.
Above all else, these two examples illustrate why it’s important to understand the clear distinction between an admitted and enrolled student when discussing the ED process.
“I Won’t Know my Financial Aid Award until After I Submit my Completed ED Application”
Contrasted with the oft-mistaken belief about colleges enrolling vs admitting half of their classes through ED, the inability to gain a fully accurate depiction of how much financial aid their student will receive (need-based or merit) is unquestionably a valid grievance of those considering ED as an application option.
While tools such as the Net Price Calculator (NPC) are available on colleges’ respective websites, the resulting information is only as accurate as what is submitted by the family. During my time as the athletics/admission liaison at Franklin & Marshall College, the NPC was one required component of the athletic pre-read form (if the family wanted to apply for need-based aid). I cannot count how many times in which the NPC information seemed a bit “off” to me and eventually looked quite different from the eventual financial aid award (if they chose to apply).
Given this potential disconnect, some colleges have opted to offer an Early Financial Estimate. This allows families to grasp a greater understanding of the amount of need-based (and in some instances merit) aid awarded to them if they are admitted to the school. Since this is completed personally by the school’s Office of Financial Aid, it is the most accurate picture of expected aid.
Yet, an elephant in the room persists: how to award merit aid within this process. While the determination of institutional and/or federal need-based aid is pretty straightforward (by submitting the FAFSA, CSS Profile, and relevant tax documents), how much merit aid an applicant receives can be much more abstract. Absent a rubric showing GPA, test scores, and a corresponding merit scholarship, it’s tough to precisely determine merit aid likelihood (especially if the school practices holistic admission in which not all GPAs are created equally and other factors such as available course rigor and upward or downward grade trends contribute to an applicant’s academic rating). This ambiguity is why I advise against selecting ED as an application option if getting merit aid is a family’s top priority.
Now What? Suggestions for Improving the ED Process
If you were to survey enrollment management leaders from schools with ED about what prevents families from picking that option, they would probably mention the following (in no particular order): cost/inability to compare admission offers/financial aid packages from multiple schools and not enough time to visit campus before the deadline.
Offer an Early Financial Aid Estimate for Potential ED Applicants
As I detailed above, some schools have made the decision to offer early financial aid estimates for students contemplating applying ED. Especially for those schools in which the ED pool is relatively small but comprises a significant portion of their enrolled classes each year, this is a great way to address those cost-related issues head on and give families more information to use in their decision-making process. Yet, there needs to be an act of good faith on the part of the family in order for this to be a valid option for colleges and universities, perhaps requiring the submission of an application (either with or without some or all supporting documents).
Expand Fly-In Programs or Campus Visits for Underrepresented Groups
The history of higher education in America has been one largely defined by inaccessibility and exclusivity. No matter the strides made in recent years, some inequities remain in place, and the ED admissions process is often cited by those seeking to level the playing field of college opportunity.
One way in which to offer the chance of low-income or otherwise underrepresented groups to visit campuses typically unavailable due to financial burdens is by introducing “fly-in” programs, a chance to explore campus and meet its community members as part of a multiple-day experience. Something as simple as specifically facilitating a session on the application process and explaining the difference between ED and RD allows attending students the opportunity to learn about this option well before its deadline.
During my time at F&M, we were able to offer these events (more so pre-Covid) during the summer and early fall, allowing bright and passionate students from all across the country to visit campus and Lancaster when under most circumstances they would be unable to do so.
Students either attending well-resourced public or private high schools with low student-to-counselor ratios or who have the ability to hire an independent counselor already undoubtedly have access to this information well before the application season kicks off, so this is a way for more students to not miss out on applying ED if that option appeals to them.
Increase Number of Recruitment Events Geared Towards High School Juniors
At most schools, admissions representatives are extensively on the road during the fall (think of Labor Day to Veterans Day as a general timespan) but only sporadically traveling during the spring. Almost all events held during the spring are (understandably) targeted to juniors and perhaps even sophomores and include college fairs, high school visits, or mock admission case studies. Essentially, having more of these events leads to an increased awareness of the college admissions process at an earlier age.
However, since most of these events are held at high schools, it is up to their counselors to create and promote them. Additionally, opening these school-based events up to the surrounding community, community-based organizations (CBOs) in particular, is another way in which to raise general awareness of the college admissions process and its many nuances to more students and families earlier.
Much as with expanding fly-in programs, this can help diversify their ED applicant pools (and thus its incoming first-year classes) economically, geographically, racially, and ethnically (i.e. shifting away from relying exclusively on China for international student enrollment).
The ED process is not perfect by any stretch of the imagination (especially when yielded by uber-selective institutions with larger enrollments when compared to smaller colleges) and significant changes should be made in order to make it more appealing to students and families across all income levels and backgrounds. Whether it’s offering early financial aid estimates to applicants or increasing opportunity and proactive awareness of the college admissions process through either high school or college campus-based events, there are certainly some easily doable solutions to this misunderstood aspect of the college admissions process.
