#mulhollandprep

by Dov Engelberg 

     Most people seem to be under the impression that, if they apply early to a school, it increases their chances of getting in. And, if you take a cursory look at the statistics, this appears to be supported. For example, here are the statistics for Yale University:

  Early Action Acceptance Rate: 18.1%

Number of Early Action Applicants: 4,888

Regular Decision Acceptance Rate: 8.6%

Number of regular applications: 22,817

       At first glance, it looks obvious: APPLY EARLY if you want to go!  And, in general, there’s some wisdom to that. It makes your senior year a little bit less stressful, might increase your chances of getting in, and encourages you to get your essays and brag sheets done early, too!

     But, there’s a big BUT...

     If you think about the pool of applicants to most schools, especially the tougher, highly selective schools — who do you think is applying early to those schools? 

     Think about it. Students who have, realistically, a really remote chance of getting in? Students who are doing it on a lark? 

     OR, perhaps….

     Serious students? Students who have been planning and preparing for THAT school for a long time? Legacies? Future valedictorians? The créme de la créme of the applicant pool? 

     I think the answer to that should be obvious. It’s the higher end of the pool.

     So, now, let’s take another look. Sure, you could say there’s a 10% greater chance of getting in early action at Yale. Or, you could read the statistic for what it really says: Yale accepts early action applicants at a 10% higher rate than regular decision. That DOES NOT mean that an applicant has a 10% better chance of getting in. It means that, from a more selective pool of applicants, Yale feels a greater percentage meet their standards. And that’s the problem. People misread the statistics. They think that, because a greater percentage of applicants are accepted early, it means that they have a better shot early.

     I’m not going to say that there is no bonus to applying early. This is especially true for early decision. Here's why - let’s look at it from the schools’ point of view: first, they have a MUCH higher retention rate for those applicants (i.e., you get in, and actually go, which is a pretty important bragging “stat” for schools). It also enables them to start shaping their classes earlier in the process. But, in the case of early decision, where the bigger chance it will help you lies, it’s a guaranteed tuition!

     BUT, what I will say, is that it probably won’t make the difference for a student who was not going to get in in the first place. If you’re in that “gray area” where you have a shot at the school, but it’s not a slam dunk, then it might help to push you over. But, to be frank about it — you’re not going to get into a school that you otherwise would not have just because you apply early decision. 

     So, to put it in a quick summary:

     The best reason to apply early decision to a school? Because you LOVE it, can’t imagine being anywhere else, and might be in that gray area where you would like a little bump in your chances of getting in.

     The best reason to apply early action? To get it out of the way, find out early, and reduce the stress of your senior year.

by Jennifer Kirmer, Director of College Counseling

With each passing year, college admission rates decline. It continues to be more and more difficult for even the most qualified applicants to gain admission to the schools of their choice. As schools become more “highly selective”, more than ever, students must submit an application that will make them stand out from the crowd. 

Furthermore, with the costs of college education skyrocketing, it becomes even more crucial that a student’s time in college be spent productively, in an environment in which he/she is stimulated and engaged. Both choosing and getting into the right college, in other words, have never been more important. 

At Mulholland Prep, that’s what we do.