Harvard to End Early Admission:

Beginning in Fall, 2007, Harvard will no longer accept applications for early access admission to its prestigious and highly sought after Ivy League programs

Sep 12, 2006

In an effort to level the admissions playing field, Harvard University sets Jan.1 as it's one and only application deadline ending its 30 year policy of "early action."

For gifted high school seniors without access to savvy college counseling, Harvard's new admissions policy could mean better access to its coveted Ivy League campus. Over 20 percent of last year's early applicants to Harvard (college graduating class of 2009) were offered admission compared to its overall 9.3 percent acceptance rate for all applicants. This resulted in fewer freshman spots available when the majority of seniors sent off their applications to meet the January 1 deadline. Beginning in Fall, 2007 (college graduating class of 2011), however, all freshman spots will be filled from one applicant pool.

"The college admissions process has become too pressured, too complex, and too vulnerable to public cynicism. We hope that doing away with early admission will improve the process and make it simpler and fairer," said Derek Bok, Harvard's interim President.