In November of 2002, Yale University and Stanford University announced that they were going to discontinue their binding early decision admittance policies, beginning with the Fall 2004 school year. According to different sources in the admissions office, UB has no plans to change its early admission policy.
The early decision policy, in place at numerous colleges and universities across the nation, has often been a topic of debate among students and counselors alike. Binding early decision applications are fading on a number of college campuses across the United States.
"For UB, early decision applicants don't represent an overwhelming proportion of our class," said Patricia Armstrong, assistant vice provost for enrollment and planning. "We've never had a problem where too many students apply early. It is actually filling a need that is expressed by applicants who know that UB is their first choice."
According to Armstrong, UB received 417 early applications for enrollment in the fall 2002 semester. UB accepted 263 applications, 256 of which enrolled. The early applicants represented 8.4 percent of UB's total enrollment for that semester.
Ellen Fenimore, a guidance counselor at Williamsville North High School, said applying early to a school does not necessarily mean the student has a better chance of being accepted.
"Many campuses have told us that students do not get a better advantage by applying early," she said. "It's the same criteria. The admissions office looks over the same things, but the student finds out earlier."
Some UB students expressed their concerns about the responsibilities associated with applying early.
"I didn't apply early to any of the schools that I was looking at," said Andrew Cohn, a senior management major. "I didn't know where I wanted to go to college at the start of my senior year. I felt like if I signed a contract with a school, I was cutting off my chances to get to see other schools."
Other students pointed out the benefits of applying early.
"I applied early to UB's School of Engineering and got in, obviously," said Paul Kraut, a senior accounting major. "I knew that I wanted to be an engineer, and it seemed like the smart thing to do. Once I got accepted to UB, I withdrew my applications to other schools."
Whether a student agrees with the early-admissions policy at UB, Regina Toomey, associate vice provost of admissions, said the decision to apply early is almost entirely up to the student.
"We do our best to educate the students about what UB has to offer," Toomey said. "We have never encouraged students to apply early, and we certainly do not offer any incentives to students to apply early."
-Compiled by Brian Weinstein
-Reported by Brian Weinstein
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
