While some students spend their entire senior year of high school agonizing over the decision of which college to attend, others make their choice early - via early decision - and relax while other students panic.
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.
Both Stanford University and Yale have recently announced that starting in the fall of 2004, while students can still apply by the earlier deadline, they will not be required to attend the school upon acceptance.
"I didn't apply early to any schools that I was interested in," said senior engineering major Brett Rinella. "I wasn't sure exactly where I wanted to go to college, and I didn't want to sign a contract that said that I must attend the school if I was accepted."
Unlike Yale and Stanford, UB will continue its early decision policy.
"For UB, early decision applicants don't represent an overwhelming proportion of our class. 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," said Patricia Armstrong, assistant vice provost for enrollment and planning and the director of admissions for UB.
The early decision policy has been controversial since its inception. Critics say that students apply to a college early decision are making a monumental choice in their life before starting their senior year of high school.
Regina Toomey, associate vice provost at the Office of Admissions, said that early decision applications could either help or hurt the prospective student.
"It's a good thing to do if you've done the research. If you know clearly, and you know what you want, (early decision) is a great thing. But it is problematic if you don't know what you're doing," she said.
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.
Senior accounting major Paul Kraut sent his application to UB for the early October deadline.
"I applied early to UB's School of Engineering and got in, obviously. 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," said Kraut.
A major concern of the early decision process is whether students fully understand that applying early is a contractual agreement.
Senior management major Andrew Cohn said he was concerned with the binding policy when he was applying to college.
"I didn't apply early to any of the schools that I was looking at," said Cohn. "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."
Armstrong made it clear that UB's early application process is spelled out for students.
"Our early decision is a binding one, and it's important that we communicate that to students. We send a confirmation that they must sign, and new to this year, parents must sign it, so that everyone knows it's a commitment," she said. "It's a very open and honest process, and it should only be initiated by a student who is ready to make that commitment."
Toomey is quick to assert that early decision is initiated by the student and not by UB.
"We do our best to educate the students about what UB has to offer. We have never encouraged students to apply early, and we certainly do not offer any incentives to students to apply early," she said.
Ellen Fenimore, a guidance counselor at Williamsville North High School agrees that early decision is something that the applicant, and not the school, should suggest.
"If the student mentions it to us, then we'll talk about it," Fenimore said, "but the guidance office doesn't suggest it."
Fenimore also said that, in her experience, early decision applications are not very different from regular applications.
"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."
In a press release on Yale's Web site, Yale president Richard C. Levin explained the university's decision to discontinue the policy.
"It is our hope to take pressure off students in the early cycle and restore a measure of reasoned choice to college admissions," stated Levin. "Our new early action program will allow students who are very confident of their preference to receive early word from Yale while still allowing ample time for further investigation and the thoughtful weighing of options."
While there are many different concerns about early admission, some students are quick to assert that there are also benefits.
"It seems to me that if a student knows where he or she wants to go to college, I don't see why he or she shouldn't apply early if it will give a better chance of being accepted," said Rinella.
