Princeton University to reinstate early admission program

Source : http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/02/princeton_university_to_reinst.html

PRINCETON — Princeton University is bringing back its early admission program, just four years after killing it because campus officials thought it gave an unfair advantage to wealthy applicants.

"We have carefully reviewed our single admission program every year, and we have been very pleased with how it has worked," Princeton President Shirley Tilghman said. "But in eliminating our early program four years ago, we hoped other colleges and universities would do the same and they haven't. One consequence is that some students who really want to make their college decision as early as possible in their senior year apply to other schools early, even if their first choice is Princeton."

Princeton and Harvard made headlines in 2006 when they announced they were eliminating early admissions. For years, critics complained the programs — which allow students to apply and get accepted to a college in the fall of their senior year of high school — were mostly used by wealthy, white students. That gave low-income and minority students less of a chance of getting into the highly-competitive schools.

But Princeton officials said other top universities failed to follow their lead. Once the early admission program is reinstated, campus officials said they will use other methods to make sure enough minority and low-income students are included in each Princeton class.

Last year, Princeton admitted 8.8 percent of the undergraduates who applied, its lowest admission rate ever. Nearly 16 percent of the 1,313 students in the freshman class come from low-income families and 11 percent are the first in their families to go to college, campus officials said.

Earlier today, Harvard University announced it would also bring back early admissions. The University of Virginia did the same last year.

The Ivy League university announced today it will reinstate early admissions later this year for students applying to enter Princeton in the fall of 2012. Applicants will be able to apply early to Princeton, though the university will not require them to make their final decision on whether to attend until the end of the regular admissions process.