Rachel Pretory filled out an early-decision application to Syracuse University this semester in hopes of increasing her chances of acceptance. 

‘I think that applying early shows the admissions office both a student’s sense of responsibility and drive to attain their goals,’ said Pretory, a senior at Sandy Creek Central High School. ‘It also shows that the student is truly set on the university as their No. 1 choice, hopefully making them value their education there even more than normal applicants.’

But the application process normally seen as less competitive may be more difficult this year, as early-decision applications for the 2011-12 academic year increased by 30 percent from last year.

With early-decision admissions, students apply by Nov. 15 and hear back from the university by mid-December. Early decision is attractive to students who know that they want to attend a certain school because the applicant pool is smaller than the regular process, but an acceptance is binding. Those who are admitted early can begin other processes, such as building a financial aid portfolio, and those who are not still have time to apply elsewhere.

Early decision benefits students because they are notified early and do not need to apply to as many schools, said Nancy Rothschild, the associate dean of admissions.

‘It benefits the university because it allows us to know who is most interested in enrolling at Syracuse,’ she said.

Generally, 17 to 20 percent of the incoming freshman class comes from early-decision applicants, Rothschild said. The current freshman class has 590 students who applied early decision out of approximately 3,450 total students.

Despite the smaller pool of applicants in early decision in comparison to regular decision, Rothschild said, the requirements for admission are just as rigorous.

‘We take a holistic approach to evaluating applicants. We consider personal qualities, talents and achievements, along with academic accomplishments,’ she said.

Megan Clark, a freshman broadcast journalism and marketing major, applied early decision to SU in 2009 after her parents and high school guidance counselor encouraged her and told her it was the right choice. But before she made her choice, she assured herself SU was the right fit by making multiple campus visits.

Her decision also came down to getting into the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. 

Clark said: ‘The competition to get into Newhouse definitely drove my decision to apply early.’

acptachi@syr.edu

Published on December 1, 2010 at 12:00 pm