In a surprise move earlier this month, Harvard University announced it will drop its early admissions program in an effort to increase the socioeconomic diversity of its student body. The announcement was heavily publicized in media outlets and, as one of the nation’s leaders in higher education policy, Harvard’s decision sent currents of discussion through the admissions boardrooms of many of the nation’s most prestigious schools.
An admissions process that penalizes low-income students by luring them with the siren song of an increased chance of acceptance to elite universities and then forcing them to commit to matriculation before they know whether they can afford to attend is unfair and is not conducive to diversity.
If elite colleges like Stanford and Yale choose to follow suit and abolish their own early admission programs, the efficacy of Harvard’s move would increase substantially, giving qualified, lower income applicants more time and more breathing room to compare financial aid packages from multiple universities.
Furthermore, if administrators at less prestigious institutions decide to follow the Harvard decision, and we recommend that they do, the decision’s ramifications will be felt across the spectrum of higher education.
While the University of Oregon doesn’t have a similar early admission program and does not compete with Harvard for applicants on a large scale, this policy change presents UO with a unique recruiting opportunity. Harvard and University of Oregon’s admissions interests overlap when UO’s top applicants apply to both schools. The University of Oregon should significantly strengthen its financial aid packages for these prospective students, as they will now have ample time to review their options.
With the state’s top students taking more time to make their college decisions, UO should capitalize by using financial aid packages to attract applicants it would otherwise lose to elite schools such as Harvard.
This, coupled with increased recruiting for UO’s Robert D. Clark Honors College, will help bolster the academic caliber of UO’s student body.