英语与精读100篇UNIT10.doc

UNIT TEN TEXT ONE When Princeton, the University of Virginia, and Harvard announced last fall that they would drop their early admissions options because they gave an unfair advantage to affluent students, many college counselors held their breath. Would early decision go the way of kegs in dormitories? Not for now, at least. Early admission is still going strong at many colleges and universities, including many top-tier schools. Early decision in particular--in which a student commits to a first-choice institution--is often touted as a plus for both schools and students. Colleges can lock up half of their class before January, and acceptance rates are typically higher than under regular admission. The major drawback of early decision is that it leaves students who are in the market for the best financial aid package out in the cold. By applying early, you must enroll if accepted, so comparing awards with those of other schools is out of the question. Schools like that, of course, because it helps their bottom line. But there is a possible end run: Ask if a school will release you from your obligation should its aid package fall short. In some cases, a school will roll you into the regular admission pool, allowing for comparison shopping come springtime. While some schools admit almost the same percentage of applicants during early and regular admission, many favor the early pool. Johns Hopkins University took 44 percent from its early round and 24 percent from the regular pool. Early birds at Hopkins make up a third of this falls freshman class.Nonetheless, college counselors have seen borderline students get a boost by applying early decision. If they arent legacies, athletes, or an underrepresented minority, early decision may be the only hook that some students have, says Jim Conroy, chair of post-high-school counseling at New Trier Township High School in Winnetka, Ill. But you need to be realistic. If a school is out of your reach, its out of reach whether you