Early Decision applications decline by Ben Abelson Contributing Writer The Office of Admission mailed some 140 acceptance letters to Early Decision (ED) II applicants last Friday bringing the total number admitted through ED to 300 this year, according to Senior Associate Dean of Admission Gregory Pyke. This year, the ED applicant pool decreased by about 10 percent, which Pyke attributed to high schools’ decreased emphasis on ED. Average combined SAT scores are up about 20 points among this year’s ED applicants from last year’s applicant pool, according to Pyke. The median score of students admitted to the class of 2005 was 1410. Pyke declined to disclose other ED statistics. He noted that a few ED admittees are sometimes allowed to decline admission if they deem their financial aid award unacceptable. “I think a number of people in school have learned that ED is a plus, but it doesn’t make a dramatic difference in who colleges are looking for. What we saw this year was the way the bottom of ED pool shrank considerably. One measure of that is the average scores are higher for the ACT and SAT in ED applicants.” Typically, the University admits approximately 40 percent of its class from ED applicants. Pyke said the number of students admitted through Early Decision is kept “relatively low” at 40 percent so the Office of Admission has enough flexibility to admit other students during the regular application phase. According to Pyke, certain groups are less likely to choose ED, especially those among the highest achievers in their high schools. These students are more likely to apply to several top schools and pick and choose from among them. Other groups that are less likely to apply under ED are students of color and students who require financial aid and have to compare financial aid offers, according to Pyke. “Those are two significant commitments that Wesleyan has in its admission program, so we’re going to want to maintain the flexibility in April to enroll the highest achievers, but also to enroll students who require financial aid and need to compare, students who are the first generation in their family to go to college and other students who apply in the regular decision program,” Pyke said. About 45 students of color are among the 300 admitted in past years in the ED process. Last year 35 of the class of 2005 were students of color. “Most students of color are in the regular decision pool,” Pyke said. Pyke explained this disparity. “That has a lot to do with the distribution of income and wealth in this country. It’s still a pretty small percentage of families of color that are in a position to make a decision about college without regard to financial aid,” Pyke said. Nick Grossman ’03, who himself applied ED I, agreed. “Wesleyan isn’t biased on purpose. It’s more because of the country’s racial and economic structure,” Grossman said. “There’s a pretty significant overlap [between students of color and those who need to consider financial aid packages],” Pyke added. Grossman identified an inherent slant in the admission process. “The SATs are socioeconomically biased,” Grossman said. About 30 percent of students currently enrolled at the University are of color. Pyke included Asian, Black, Latino, and Native American students in this group. ED offers a valuable opportunity to students who do not want to spend the second half of their senior year in high school worrying about their college choice, according to Pyke. “Early decision is great for high school seniors because it gives them an edge and tons of free time. If you’re saying ‘I promise I’ll come here,’ it’s good for the college because it increases their yield,” Grossman said. However, Pyke acknowledged the potential flaws of the ED process made by some critics. “I think the argument made by some people [is] that it disadvantages those who need to consider financial aid. I think that’s a reasonable argument, and I think that is one of the reasons to keep the majority of spaces in the class open until April.” Approximately 60 percent of each class is chosen through the regular decision application process. He anticipates that there will be about 715 students in class of 2006. ED I applicants were notified by Dec. 15.

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