Princeton Is Swamped in Early Applications

The New York Times
By JACQUES STEINBERG
Published: November 10, 2011

Princeton canceled its early-admission program four years ago to delay the beginning of the annual frenzy of applicants hoping to secure a precious seat in the next freshman class. But when none of their main competitors followed suit, they announced in February that they would once again offer applicants an opportunity to apply in November, two months before the regular deadline.



The response, at least at Princeton, was a flurry of early applicants. A spokesman said Tuesday night that 3,547 students had applied by last week’s deadline through the university’s “single-choice early-action” program. That figure is nearly triple the size of the entire freshman class.

It appears among about 100 colleges and universities queried, that early applications to some highly selective colleges were up, despite the pinch that the economic downturn has placed on families’ college savings accounts. (Those who apply under early-decision programs commit in advance to enroll if accepted, and lose the ability to compare other colleges’ financial aid offers; early-action programs like Princeton’s are not binding on applicants.)

Duke, for example, said that 2,716 students had applied under its binding early-decision program, a 23 percent increase over last fall. Johns Hopkins said it had received 1,440 applications to its binding program, an increase of nearly 8 percent. And nearly 1,800 applied through Dartmouth’s early-decision program, a 2 percent increase.

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