6,305 students apply early decision to Columbia

Upper West Side NY

17 December, 2021

2:32 PM

Description

Columbia Daily Spectator BY BENJAMIN STEIN DECEMBER 15, 2021 Columbia College and the School of Engineering and Applied Science released offers of admission on Tuesday after reviewing a pool of 6,305 early decision applicants for the class of 2026, according to Columbia Undergraduate Admissions. The admitted students hail from all 50 states and nearly 50 countries. Although slightly fewer than the 6,435 students who applied early decision to the class of 2025, the number of early applications for the class of 2026 is still significantly higher than the 4,318 early decision applicants for the class of 2024. This increase is driven in part by continued test-optional policies that were originally put in place for the class of 2025 after standardized testing was canceled or postponed due to COVID-19. "We feel honored that among all the college options available to them, these students felt that they could see themselves flourishing at Columbia College and The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science. We wish these students and their families great joy in the happy news of their acceptance to Columbia," Dean of Undergraduate Admissions and Financial Aid Jessica Marinaccio said in a statement to Spectator. As acceptance rates for Columbia and peer institutions decrease, more and more students are applying early decision in an attempt to increase their chances of admission. While the overall acceptance rate for the class of 2024 was 6.1 percent, the early decision acceptance rate was 15.1 percent. By applying early decision, applicants commit to attending Columbia and must withdraw applications to other schools if admitted. Eric Sherman, a college counselor at IvyWise and a former Columbia admissions officer, said that applying early decision allows applicants to boost their chances of admission by demonstrating that Columbia is their top choice. "There is that strategic element for students to be able to bridge the gap slightly between where they are academically and what Columbia is looking for typically," Sherman said. "Students that wouldn't hold water in the regular decision pool may be able to get a slight bump in [early decision], but that gap in terms of advantage has really narrowed over the years because it's just so hypercompetitive." Yet the early decision process also generates inequity in the college admissions process, as its binding nature can discourage students with financial need from applying. According to mathematics professor Michael Thaddeus, who has criticized the University's priorities and planned expansion of undergraduate enrollment, the commitment to attend if admitted is concerning for applicants. "Lower-income households … can be more anxious about applying early decision because you make a commitment to go to the institution if you're accepted," Thaddeus said. "That's a financial commitment that deprives you of the opportunity to comparison shop." Students interested in attending Columbia who did not apply early decision can submit their regular decision applications before Jan. 1, with decisions released in early April. Founded in 1877, the Columbia Daily Spectator is the independent undergraduate newspaper of Columbia University, serving thousands of readers in Morningside Heights, West Harlem, and beyond. Read more at columbiaspectator.com and donate here.