Harvard slows admissions rat race; will others follow?

USA TODAY, September, 2006

Harvard University took a big leap this week toward injecting sanity and equity into the frenzied process of getting into college: The elite school dumped its non-binding early admission program. It would be nice if the rest of academia did the same, but that's highly unlikely. Most schools don't have the cash or the cachet to follow Harvard's wise lead.

For those who haven't had the pleasure of dealing with the process: Early admission is a system that allows high school seniors to apply to the college of their choice in the fall of senior year and learn their fate before Dec. 15, far ahead of the regular admission process. Under many programs, when students apply, they must pledge to attend if accepted. (Harvard's program was not binding, giving students some flexibility.) For colleges, binding programs are a huge plus because they give the schools more control over their incoming ...