Early decision applications were up 40 percent this year as a result of the added round, says admissions Dean Dan Walls, and the university expects to have between 435 and 440 slots filled by the Feb. 15 deposit deadline, with 37 percent of the freshman class committed.
Walls says student demand spurred the addition of a second early decision round.
Both here and around the nation, students are looking at colleges earlier and many are ready to commit to Emory by fall of their senior year. Students who applied under the plan are highly qualified, with average SATs of 1300 and average GPAs of 3.5 or 3.6 on a 4.0 scale. Among the plusses of early decision is that it takes the pressure off students who may be worrying about college, says Walls. Early admission also helps Emory and other schools spread the good word. After all, it can't hurt to have hundreds of admitted students in high schools around the country talking about Emory to their friends.