In September, Harvard and then Princeton announced that they would be doing away with early admissions starting next year. The almost universal expectation in the press and among high school students, their parents and school counselors was that other colleges would follow the decision by Harvard and Princeton and eliminate their programs in 2007 or shortly thereafter.

Much to the surprise of almost everyone, no one has followed Harvard and Princeton. In fact, as noted in an article in The Wall Street Journal on Dec. 14, many colleges have moved to expand their early admissions programs rather than eliminate them. In addition, colleges have also increased the variety of early admissions options available to students. Copies of the article will be mailed to all Herricks families with students in grades 9, 10 and 11 with the next general mailing from the high school guidance department. Copies may also be obtained from that office or from my office by anyone who wishes to pick one up.

Early admissions programs have disadvantages as well as advantages and they are clearly not right for all students. Students who have not decided on a college as their top choice should not, for example, apply through an early admission program. For certain students, however, they do have significant advantages. This decision is one which is best made by a student and his/her family after a thorough discussion with the student's counselor and a careful review of all of the critical factors.

The most interesting aspect of The Wall Street Journal article was not the expansion of early admissions programs but the growing variety of different programs available - often from the same university. Rensselaer Polytech Institute (RPI), just outside of Albany, NY, for example, now has three different options in addition to the regular admissions process. First, there is an "early decision" program in which students apply by November 1 and receive a decision by mid-December. Under this program, students agree to enroll if accepted. There is also "early action" with the same timeline but without the commitment to attend if accepted. In addition Rensselaer offers a program called "Candidate's Choice" which has a streamlined application and a faster turnaround time (estimated at 28 days).

There are also "early decision 2", "instant decision" and "fast track" programs at various colleges.

Memorizing all of these options is unnecessary. It is almost impossible to remember which colleges have which programs and, besides, by the time your child is ready to apply, the college may have changed which programs they offer. What is important to know, however, is that they exist and that they are expanding, not disappearing. Students and families should keep them in mind as they enter the college admissions process and use them to their advantage when they can.