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| Vol. 24., No. 11 | December 23, 1998 |
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| Vol. 24., No. 11 | December 23, 1998 |
By A. Dunlap-Smith
Applications to Columbia for early decision increased again this year, reflecting both the school's continued popularity and the increased appeal of this college admissions option among high school students.
The Office of Admissions and Financial Aid reported that the College received 1,156 early decision applications to the Class of 2003, and the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Sciences received 174.
These figures represent better than 5 percent and 12 percent jumps in early decision applications for the respective schools.
This trend is on top of dramatic rises in last year's pool. The 1997 early decision applicants had increased by 23 percent for Columbia College and a whopping 55 percent for the engineering school over the previous year's.
The admissions office cannot yet say how many early applicants will fill the College's 955 spaces for the 2003 class. Last year, 45 percent of the College's 2002 class was filled early and better than 30 percent of engineering's 295 places went to early applicants.
Since 1994, applications for early decision rose approximately 120 percent for the College and 250 percent for the engineering school.
The process ends Friday, Dec. 11, when Columbia sends acceptance/rejection letters to its early applicants.
At Barnard, where the number of early decision applications has grown for seven consecutive years, Admissions Dean Doris Davis "suspects that we'll have another good year."
Barnard, however, has not yet released official statistics because its application deadline is later than Columbia's.