Early Apps Reach New High, Again

Yet again, Columbia's Office of Undergraduate Admissions received a record number of early applications. This fall 1,687 people applied early for a space in Columbia's Class of 2005, a 10.7 percent increase from last year.

Columbia College received 1,485 early applications, an 11.7 percent increase over last year, while the School of Engineering and Applied Science received 202 applications, making for a 4.7 percent increase over last year's mark. Columbia Director of Undergraduate Admissions Eric Furda called the figures "pretty reasonable."

Early decision applications have become much more popular in the past few years, as more and more students seeking admission to competitive schools are drawn to early decision's higher admittance rates. Last year, Columbia accepted 47 percent of its entering class from early decision applications, and Furda expects to take "a similar percentage" this year.

But Furda was quick to add that he did not feel the continued upward trend in early applications to Columbia was only the result of high school seniors seeking a better chance at admission.

"I don't think it's a hysterical increase," he said. "I think the students applying to Columbia under early decision are doing so because they are informed and interested in Columbia as a place."

That interest in Columbia justifies for Furda that there is little wrong with taking nearly half of an entering class from an applicant pool that represents less than 15 percent of the total number of applications Columbia receives.

"If in early decision we had an applicant pool that reflected the class that we wanted in September, I'd take the entire class early," he said.

That is not the case, however. According to Furda, the early decision applicant pool is not as diverse as a Columbia class should be. Early applicants are concentrated more in urban and suburban areas on the East and West Coasts and are also too economically and racially homogeneous.

"You're just not going to have what you want to look like in the early decision pool," he said.

For the Class of 2005, though, there is an abundance of applicants in at least one heavily-sought demographic.

"One dramatic change that I've seen … is that a lot more recruited student athletes have been talking to our coaches and are interested in applying early decision," Furda said.

The rise in athletic recruitment may mean a stronger commitment by the Admissions Department to building up Columbia's sports teams. Columbia's 3-7 football team, which tied for last place in the Ivy League, fielded over 100 players this season.

There is one more interesting shift in this year's early decision process. Over 35 percent of early applicants to Columbia applied online, an option that was not available at this time last year. "It's an efficient way to apply," Furda said.

Early decision applicants will hear back from Columbia in mid-December, and the next wave of applications to the Class of 2005 will be mailed to the University on New Year's Day, 2001.