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RSS FeedColleges and universities in the US should end their early admission programs
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| Agree | 32% | 36 votes | Total: 114 votes | |
| Disagree | 68% | 78 votes |
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Add to FavoritesHow one judges early admission programs largely depends on his or her understanding of the school mission: is school about getting in college only? Because my response to this question is no, I believe that early admission programs are detrimental to education: they disrupt the educational process.
Even for the most dedicated student, an admission letter to his or her school of choice is a distraction: whether it is a cause to celebrate or a reason to dream about the future, the truth holds that it is difficult, if not unrealistic, for a teenager to act normal and treat his coursework in the same fashion. One should never forget that seniors, in most cases, are not mature individuals yet; they are impulsive, they are eager to explore new things, they may have a hard time to bring themselves together - which is very normal of courses.
I believe that the mission of the school starts "day one" and is not to end until after the student has been accepted to college. Education in my view is not only about forming "future professionals" but also about preparing people for the various roles they will hold in life as members of societies, families and communities. Hence, I see admission to college as "a next step" and not an "end goal" per Se. Early admission programs sandwiched between junior and senior year highly disrupt the process of education; naturally so, students make acceptance to college a priority, more so if the school in question happens to be their first choice.
Finally, from a teacher's perspective, I think it must be exceptionally hard to have class that operates on multiple levels: with some students focusing on coursework and others on admissions at any given time, teaching must be indeed an adventure in it's own right. On the other hand, if all students undertake the application steps around the same time, it is easier for the instructor to organize the class and cater to the needs of students.
It goes without saying that I agree with a wide range of arguments that oppose early admission programs, including for example the importance of students to make decisions based on choices and having the opportunity to compare and contrast - these being all fundamental skills each young person must possess. I have chosen to pursue the education argument because I believe it is often overlooked today - despite being fundamentally important to our societies.
Learn more about this author, Anastasia Konstantakatou.
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Disagree
As a current college student, I remember well the pressure placed upon me by guidance counselors and family. "Have you made your college picks yet?" The answer was always an annoyed, "No, please leave me alone." I will be the first to admit that picking your top colleges is a very important thing to do in your college journey. Of course, I eventually did pick my top schools. The next step was actually sitting down and looking at the application.
In looking at this topic, one needs to realize that there are two different kinds of "early admission" at most schools. One is early decision. This is the most controversial type of early admission. Once a student applies under early decision (almost always by sending in the application well before regular applications are due), they MUST attend this school if they are accepted. There is no way out of this contract. The other type is known to many simply as early admission. This is when a student may submit their applications early and find out early whether or not they are accepted into their university of choice. This is a non binding version however.
Early decision is not for everyone. Making the decision to apply for this lies with the parents or guardians and the student. The student must be 100% sure this is definitely the school of their choice because as I said, if they are accepted, they must go. This is not such a bad thing. Many students know what their number one choice is very early. This allows them to be able to make the choice of whether they want to apply with this option or not. There is no disadvantage to this as long as the student and family is perfectly clear that this is what they want. Schools have a quota of how many early decision students they accept because they cannot accept everyone. Generally, if one applies early decision and gets rejected, their application is rolled over and gone over again for general admission. Generally, only the students with outstanding records will be picked for early decision.
While this choice is not for everyone, there is no downside to doing it. However, students must realize the seriousness of the decision they are making as it is bound by law. If they know where they want to go, this is the option for them and most of the time works out to their advantage to do this. Otherwise, stick to the general admission applications.
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