Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany. Photo Courtesy: Fishville
Fishville’s Notes: 哈佛大学正式宣布将在录取2016届学生时重新启动早期录取计划。2006年初当哈佛淘汰早期录取计划时，他们原打算此决定能减少学生的压力, 他们也希望没有早期录取能吸引更多的低收入家庭的学生。其实这种说法本身很难成立，因为哈佛实施的是不具约束力的早期行动，申请人可以拒绝接受入学而选择去别的地方。哈佛现在说，在它终止早期录取计划后低收入家庭的学生仍然热衷于申请其他学校的早期录取计划。当年只有两所像样的大学，普林斯顿和弗吉尼亚大学，追随哈佛2006年的决定。弗吉尼亚大学去年十一月已决定重回早期录取计划，我们毫不怀疑，普林斯顿也将恢复它的早期计划，但这次肯定不会再是早期决定了。对于普林斯顿的2016届新生迎来的可能是早期行动。
在萨默斯辞去哈佛大学校长后不久，哈佛宣布废除早期录取计划。如果这也是他参与的决策，那将是萨默斯担任哈佛校长时又一个失败的例子。波士顿环球报曾报道，在金融危机时萨默斯因投入太多捐款资金到市场上使哈佛的捐赠基金损失巨大。在不久前的虎妈辩论中，萨默斯青睐哈佛的C级学生，因为他们能给哈佛带来巨大的捐款，这样使得他们成为筹款活动的嘉宾；哈佛的A级学生则成为学术界的明星教授；B级学生则忙碌着培养自己的孩子将来被哈佛录取。 现在萨默斯可能遗憾他当年在哈佛研究生院的A级学术成绩， 因为这没有给他足够的训练使他能管理好哈佛；他作为现政府的一位重要经济顾问对美国的贡献，历史也将作出公正的评价。
Harvard formally announced that it will allow the early action program to return for the admission of class of 2016. When Harvard eliminated early action in 2006, they intended to reduce the pressure for all and also tried to attract more students from lower income families. This argument can hardly stand as early action is a non-binding process in which the accepted applicants can deny the admission and go elsewhere. Now in the statement, Harvard stated that actually the underprivileged applicants still “were choosing programs with an early-action option”. Only two decent colleges, Princeton and University of Virginia, followed Harvard’s decision in 2006. UVA decided to return early program last November, we have no doubt that Princeton will also reinstate its early program, but this time it’s probably not going to be early decision but early action for Princeton’s class of 2016.
The decision to abolish Harvard's early program was announced shortly after Larry Summers resigned as the president of Harvard. If there was some of his involvements, this is one more example of Larry Summers’ decisions that has been approved to be a failure when he was Harvard’s President. Boston Globe reported that Summers had messed up with Harvard’s endowment by making numerous mistakes in putting too much money into the market. During the Tiger Mom’s debate, Summers favored the C students from Harvard as they were able to bring millions of dollars that made them guests in the fundraising events, in addition to his comments on A students to become professors in academia and B students being busy to nurture their kids to be accepted in the future by Harvard. Now Summers might regret that his studies at Harvard’s graduate school as an A level student did not prepare him well to make a smart decision both for Harvard and the United Statesconsidering he was one of inner circles in the current administration.
Early action returns to Harvard
By Emily Wanger, Yale Daily News, Thursday, February 24, 2011
Harvard has decided to bring back early action.
Applicants to Harvard’s class of 2016 will be able to apply early under a non-binding early action admissions program, the Crimson reported. The change comes after a year of reevaluating Harvard’s decision in 2006 to discontinue its early action program.
Harvard Dean of Faculty of Arts and Sciences Michael Smith said in a statement that the University noticed “that many highly talented students, including some of the best-prepared low-income and underrepresented minority students, were choosing programs with an early-action option, and therefore missing out on the opportunity to consider Harvard,” according to the Crimson.
In the fall of 2006, Harvard, Princeton, and the University of Virginia decided to eliminate their early admissions program. This November, the University of Virginia reintroduced a new early action program.
Harvard Announces Return of Early Action Admissions Program
By Gautam S. Kumar and Julie M. Zauzmer, CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS
Published: Thursday, February 24, 2011
Harvard College announced the return of its non-binding early action admissions program, which was eliminated in 2007 due to concerns that it posed a disadvantage to low-income applicants.
The announcement comes after the University of Virginia—which, along with Princeton, followed Harvard in deciding to eliminate early admissions programs in the fall of 2006—rolled out a new early action program in November.
University President Drew G. Faust said in a statement that the return of early action, an admissions practice which Harvard had previously called unfair to students from disadvantaged backgrounds, is now “consistent with our bedrock commitment to access, affordability, and excellence.”
The program will return this fall for the class of 2016.
Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Michael D. Smith said in the same statement that offering an accelerated decision cycle for interested applicants would increase Harvard’s potential to attract top-caliber students. He said, “We looked carefully at trends in Harvard admissions these past years and saw that many highly talented students, including some of the best-prepared low-income and underrepresented minority students, were choosing programs with an early-action option, and therefore were missing out on the opportunity to consider Harvard.”
Harvard has been reevaluating its decision to move to a single admissions cycle since early this academic year. In November, Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid William R. Fitzsimmons ’67 said in an interview with The Crimson that he did not expect any changes to the current program, “but we’re a dynamic institution.”
—Staff writer Gautam S. Kumar can be reached at [email protected].
—Staff writer Julie M. Zauzmer can be reached at [email protected].
Early action returns
After trial, Harvard College restores admissions option, with additions
Thursday, February 24, 2011, Harvard Gazette.
Harvard College announced today (Feb. 24) that it will restore nonbinding early action as part of its admissions process this fall and significantly enhance its recruiting program to assist talented students from modest economic backgrounds in navigating the admissions process. Harvard also announced it will increase its investment in undergraduate financial aid next year to more than $160 million. Currently, more than 60 percent of Harvard College students receive scholarship aid, and the average grant is about $38,000.
In 2007, Harvard eliminated its nonbinding early action program on a trial basis and moved to a single admissions deadline, announcing at the time that it would evaluate the impact of the change after several years.
“We piloted the elimination of early action out of concern that college admissions had become too complex and pressured for all students, and out of particular concern for students at under-resourced high schools who might not be able to access the early admissions process,” said Harvard President Drew Faust. “Over the past several years, however, interest in early admissions has increased, as students and families from across the economic spectrum seek certainty about college choices and financing. Our goal now is to reinstitute an early-action program consistent with our bedrock commitment to access, affordability, and excellence.”
“We looked carefully at trends in Harvard admissions these past years and saw that many highly talented students, including some of the best-prepared low-income and underrepresented minority students, were choosing programs with an early-action option, and therefore were missing out on the opportunity to consider Harvard. We have decided that the College and our students will be best served by restoring an early option,” said Dean Michael D. Smith of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.
Harvard’s concerns about equity and transparency will continue to guide the structure of its admission program. It will maintain a nonbinding approach, which maximizes freedom and flexibility for students. As in the past, students can apply under the single-choice, early-action program by Nov. 1 and will be notified by Dec. 15, at which point students completing financial aid applications will receive notice of their awards. Regular decision will continue to operate as usual, with applications due on Jan. 1 and notification on April 1. All students, whether admitted under early action or regular decision, will have until May 1 to decide whether to attend.
To ensure that the return to early action serves Harvard’s commitment to access and diversity across many dimensions, the change in admissions policy will be accompanied by enhancements in the College’s recruiting program, including a new program promoting transparency in college admissions, greater outreach, and targeted staff visits to schools where few students apply early to college; increased involvement of Harvard undergraduates throughout the year in three major recruiting efforts — the Harvard Financial Aid Initiative, the Undergraduate Minority Recruitment Program, and the Undergraduate Admissions Council’s Return to High School Program; and enhanced web features providing families with the ability to calculate the likely net cost to them of sending a child to Harvard, and perspectives from financial aid students on life at Harvard.
“The commitment to including first-generation, low-income, and historically disadvantaged minority students in the full spectrum of admissions options is a key feature of this new early-action option,” said Harvard College Dean Evelynn Hammonds. “We have made significant gains in recent years in recruiting larger numbers of these students and in supporting them for success once here. I am very pleased that we are able to re-conceive early action, consistent with these goals, and to work with students based on whatever timetable best meets their needs.”
“We continue to be concerned about the pressures on students today, including those associated with college admission,” said Harvard College Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid William R. Fitzsimmons. “In all of our work, we will do everything possible to level the playing field in admissions and encourage all students to make thoughtful choices about how they can best contribute to society.”
Information provided by:
HYP Pathway(雅美途)
St. Louis, Missouri, USA.
An Expert on College Admission in the United States.
E-mail:
[email protected]; Website:
雅美途