ED/EA applications are down at most schools

[Anonymous]

Conversation tends to focus on the few, super selective colleges on this board. The applications went up at those schools, but at the rest of the colleges, applications are down by double digit percentages.

https://www.insidehighered.com/admissions/article/2021/02/08/applications-fall-early-decision-and-early-action

Harvard University admitted 747 applicants who applied early action (which is nonbinding) to the institution this year. The number of early applicants was 10,086, up from 6,424 for last year's class. Brown University admitted 885 students who applied early decision (which is binding) this year. The application pool was 5,540, up 22 percent in a year. Dartmouth College admitted 566 students, from a pool of 2,664, up nearly 29 percent.

Those kinds of increases were not unique to the Ivy League. The University of Virginia's early decision pool was up 38 percent. A record number (4,000) applied to Tulane University early decision. That's up from 1,000 when Tulane started early decision in 2016.

Is this a sign of something good (for colleges) coming out of this pandemic year?

Actually, it's not.

According to new data from Hobsons' Naviance service, the number of students applying early decision (nationally) is down 4.6 percent. And the number of students who applied early action fell 5.7 percent. Melissa Meyer of Hobsons said the numbers suggest that yield will be even more difficult for colleges to predict -- except perhaps those in the top ranks that are receiving plenty of early applications.

Hobsons did release data by size of institution for changes in early-action applications:

Very small (2,000 or fewer students): Down 29 percent
Small (2,001 to 4,000 students): Down 24 percent
Medium (4,001 to 7,000 students): Down 12 percent
Midsize (7,001 to 13,000 students): Down 10 percent
Large (13,001 to 20,000 students): Down 2 percent
Very large (more than 20,000 students): Up 5 percent

Meyer of Hobsons noted that the trends are particularly interesting in that early applications (early decision and early action) started to decline last year, before the pandemic. In some ways, she said, the steep increases in early decision in prior years may be reversing themselves.

[Anonymous]

And yet, overall, Common App reports that applications are up.
https://www.insidehighered.com/admissions/article/2021/01/26/common-apps-new-data-show-overall-gains-applications-not-first

One possible reason for the discrepancy is that Common App and Naviance do not represent the same set of data. There is significant overlap, but there are apps in Common App that Naviance doesn't count, apps in Naviance that aren't through Common App, and apps that go through neither.

Another possible reason for the discrepancy is that applicants may have a delayed timeframe compared to a normal year, submitting fewer in the early round and more in the regular round

I would look for places where the data sets agree, like first gen and low income being down, though as the above link notes, low income often apply later in the year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And yet, overall, Common App reports that applications are up.
https://www.insidehighered.com/admissions/article/2021/01/26/common-apps-new-data-show-overall-gains-applications-not-first

One possible reason for the discrepancy is that Common App and Naviance do not represent the same set of data. There is significant overlap, but there are apps in Common App that Naviance doesn't count, apps in Naviance that aren't through Common App, and apps that go through neither.

Another possible reason for the discrepancy is that applicants may have a delayed timeframe compared to a normal year, submitting fewer in the early round and more in the regular round

I would look for places where the data sets agree, like first gen and low income being down, though as the above link notes, low income often apply later in the year.

852 US schools are on Common App.
18 in Maryland
35 in Virginia (no JMU, interestingly)

[Anonymous]

I think ED may be down at schools below Ivy but would think EA would be up everywhere as kids have had so much more time to focus this year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think ED may be down at schools below Ivy but would think EA would be up everywhere as kids have had so much more time to focus this year.

What you think doesn't really change the published data.

Very small (2,000 or fewer students): Down 29 percent
Small (2,001 to 4,000 students): Down 24 percent
Medium (4,001 to 7,000 students): Down 12 percent
Midsize (7,001 to 13,000 students): Down 10 percent
Large (13,001 to 20,000 students): Down 2 percent
Very large (more than 20,000 students): Up 5 percent

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think ED may be down at schools below Ivy but would think EA would be up everywhere as kids have had so much more time to focus this year.

What you think doesn't really change the published data.

Very small (2,000 or fewer students): Down 29 percent
Small (2,001 to 4,000 students): Down 24 percent
Medium (4,001 to 7,000 students): Down 12 percent
Midsize (7,001 to 13,000 students): Down 10 percent
Large (13,001 to 20,000 students): Down 2 percent
Very large (more than 20,000 students): Up 5 percent

How many of those schools are even mildly selective? It seems like most schools that I've heard of that have released data are up

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think ED may be down at schools below Ivy but would think EA would be up everywhere as kids have had so much more time to focus this year.

What you think doesn't really change the published data.

Very small (2,000 or fewer students): Down 29 percent
Small (2,001 to 4,000 students): Down 24 percent
Medium (4,001 to 7,000 students): Down 12 percent
Midsize (7,001 to 13,000 students): Down 10 percent
Large (13,001 to 20,000 students): Down 2 percent
Very large (more than 20,000 students): Up 5 percent

If the samples contain a lot of schools that nobody cares about, your data doesn’t mean anything.

[Anonymous]

can anyone give an example of a school where ED is down?

[Anonymous]

What a crappy piece of writing. It makes no sense. They break it down by size, but hey, all those selective schools fall into one of those size ranges that claim early apps are down. Which is it?

[Anonymous]

yea and is this data for EA and ED combined?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:can anyone give an example of a school where ED is down?

My SLAC is way down but they aren’t talking about it. I’ve been hit up seven times for a donation since COViD started.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:can anyone give an example of a school where ED is down?

My SLAC is way down but they aren’t talking about it. I’ve been hit up seven times for a donation since COViD started.

mine just announced the most applications ever, both early and regular decision

[Anonymous]

Tufts up 35% overall; ED up 19%. And Tufts is #30 per USNWR university list, so reflects that apps up beyond Ivy/top tier.

[Anonymous]

The article says applications are up at he top 100 schools. My kid did not apply for any schools ranked below that. He’s already in at his safety. I guess he did well

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:can anyone give an example of a school where ED is down?

My SLAC is way down but they aren’t talking about it. I’ve been hit up seven times for a donation since COViD started.

Mine extended their deadlines, is promising free text books, increasing merit money by 35%...and it's a D1 school that has a solid reputation. Amazing.