December 14th and 15th mark a day packed to the brim of gut-wrenching and anxiety-ridden emotions. Most of the Ivy Leagues and a majority of the T20 universities release their Early Decision admission decisions within these two days (and a few the day before or after, such as MIT).
Each year, Wheatley usually sees a few admits into these T20 universities through Early Decision. Last year, we saw Early Decision admits to universities such as Duke and Cornell.
However, many Wheatley students opened their Early Decisions from T20 universities to disappointment. With only a handful of acceptances (four to NYU and one Boston University), this year’s Early Decision results at Wheatley were disappointing for many. Some even went so far as to sport all-black outfits, representing the so-called “bloodbath” experienced by Wheatley students.
The words “Unfortunately”, and “cannot admit to the class of 2028” have been burned into the minds of many students the past two weeks. We’ve also seen a great amount of deferrals from T20 universities, such as Yale, Duke, Northwestern, Cornell, NYU, and Vanderbilt.
Waltzing around the rooms of classes such as AP Economics, AP Literature, and SUPA, classes which are composed of only seniors, the talk of this “Early Decision Bloodbath” is hard to avoid. Students are heard comparing the results of Wheatley to other nearby districts, such as Herricks, Jericho, and Syosset, who’ve seen a number of admits into T20 universities. It begs the question of why Wheatley has failed to rise to the occasion when it comes to university acceptances.
However, it is important to note the demographics of our district. While yes, each and every student who applied to these T20 universities is no doubt a qualified applicant, top universities can only accept so many students, especially through Early Decision. Nearby schools are much larger than Wheatley, sporting singular grade populations in similar numbers to our entire school population.
Top universities are also making a lot of changes to their admissions criteria. As much as universities and students avoid factoring in the U.S. News World Report college rankings into their idea of a university, it no doubt plays a role in the perceived prestige of American universities. This year, U.S. News World Report has implemented changes in their ranking system, emphasizing the importance of socioeconomic diversity, and reducing the importance of class size, debt, and alumni giving rate. This is also the first year where universities no longer require race in their applications, leading to new types of supplemental essays. With such changes, it is only clear that the class of 2028 will see interesting trends in admission decisions.
For example, Wheatley saw many deferrals and rejections to Cornell University, a school that typically accepts upwards of 3-4 students per year from Wheatley (usually at least 1 from ED). However, The University’s Presidential Task Force on Undergraduate Admissions at Cornell University suggested changes to Cornell’s admissions processes; basically, to take fewer students Early Decision in an attempt to increase equity and consideration of qualified applicants from all socioeconomic statuses and areas around the world (The Cornell Daily Sun).
The meaning of deferral has also been changing. In the past, deferral was often synonymous with rejection, as universities failed to accept a large percentage of their deferred admissions in their regular decision admissions round. However, some schools, such as Yale University, have been lowering their deferral rates every year. Essentially meaning that, Yale only defers students who they see are qualified and are genuinely considering in their regular decision applicant pool.
Wheatley seniors, keep your heads up! Although your winter breaks may be filled with essay writing, just remember that you will be successful wherever you end up. Universities do not reject you as a person, but you as an application. You as words, and statistics. Rejection is simply redirection!
And if you were one of the few Seniors accepted into their Early Decision school, CONGRATULATIONS! You’re now in the primetime of your senior year! Kick back, relax, and enjoy the smooth sailing ahead!