Penn President Amy Gutmann wrote an op-ed that appeared in yesterday's Washington Post defending the use of early decision policies.
Gutmann argued that moving to a single application deadline is an ineffective method of increasing a school's accessibility compared to other methods, such as increasing outreach efforts and need-based financial aid.
Princeton and Harvard universities have announced plans to eliminate early admissions.
Citing the record numbers of minority and low-income students who applied to and enrolled at Penn this year as evidence that early decision is not harming the University's recruitment efforts, Gutmann said that "abolishing the practice [of early decision] will do no significant social good."
Gutmann said that instead of focusing on early admissions programs, schools interested in becoming accessible to students regardless of family income should stop giving merit and athletic scholarships and make a financial commitment to need-based aid.
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