Early Decision 1 (ED1) applications received by Emory University have increased for prospective students hoping to enter Emory College of Arts and Sciences (ECAS) as well as Oxford College for Fall 2013.

The recorded number of ED1 applications to ECAS was 959 as of Nov. 19. This is a 10 percent increase from last year’s number of 871 applications, according to the Office of Admissions.

Oxford College’s ED1 increase was even larger, up 67 percent. According to a press release issued by Emory on Nov. 28, last year was the first time Oxford College offered the ED1 option for prospective students. They received 159 applications compared to 266 this year.

Emory offers three different rounds of admission. ED1 decisions are announced Dec. 15. ED2 applications are due Jan. 1, 2013. The deadline for regular decision applications is Jan. 15.

The admissions staffs at both schools are exceedingly happy with the increase in ED1 applications, according to Daniel Creasy, the director of communications for the Office of Admissions.

“The increase of ED1 applications to Emory University is excellent news, especially with both Emory College of Arts and Sciences and Oxford College receiving record high applications,” Creasy said. “Students applying ED1, with the binding commitment that program entails, are stating that they have done their research and Emory University is their top choice.”

Creasy also said that the increase in ED1 applications is due to an increase in transparency by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. He said that by assigning admissions staff to specific regions for both ECAS and Oxford College, the process was more effective and efficient.

Creasy also said that there is an extremely long list for why prospective students are so drawn to Emory, especially Early Decision.

“For many applying ED to Emory the small size is desirable, the chance to study with world-class faculty is alluring, the diversity of people and opportunities is greatly appealing and the chance to experience a progressive city like Atlanta while living on a beautiful campus can’t be topped,” Creasy said. “For other ED applicants, their choice to apply could just be the desire to experience Wonderful Wednesdays, watch our women’s soccer team compete for a national championship or just to meet Dooley.

John Latting, Emory’s dean of admissions, attributes this increase in applications to an expansion in Emory’s global popularity, according to the press release.

“Emory University continues to be a popular first-choice school for many applicants, both domestic and international, and this year a significant portion of the increase in ED1 applicants to Emory College is due to the increase of international applicants,” Latting said in the press release.

According to the press release, Jennifer Taylor, the dean of enrollment at Oxford, also attributes some of the increase in ED1 applications to international students.

She said she is pleased to see the ED1 option growing in popularity for Oxford College.

“It’s excellent news that an increasing number of early decision applicants are selecting Oxford College as their preferred entry point to Emory,” Taylor said in the press release.

Creasy further said that the increase in applications is not surprising. He said that through admissions staff visits to hometowns, and prospective students visiting campus, “it was clear to Admission staff that more top students were considering Emory as a viable first-choice option”.

However, he said he was happily surprised that the application volume was up for Oxford College, as well as those areas that were affected by Hurricane Sandy.

ED1 application deadlines for both schools were extended from Nov. 1 to Nov. 15 for prospective students that live in areas affected by Hurricane Sandy. In the press release Latting said that there was an increase in applications to ECAS from the East Coast, where the Hurricane’s primary destruction occurred.

The ED1 increase comes after Emory was called into question earlier this year for discovering that they had misreported SAT scores of incoming students. Divya Swaminathan said that the increase in applications was a shock initially.

“When I found out that more students applied ED1, I was really surprised, initially,” Swaminathan said. “I thought with all of the cuts in the departments and SAT misreporting, we would have less students apply for Early Decision. Now that I think about it, the fact that the SAT scores average may have changed might have encouraged more students who were not considering applying to apply. It probably gave them hope that they’d be able to get in.”

Creasy said that he does not think that there is any correlation between the recent news and the number of ED1 applications. He said that he thinks applications to Emory will only increase in the future.

“I suspect we will continue to bear witness to an increasing popularity of Emory University as a top choice for the future Class of 2017 and beyond, Creasy said. “The changes that Dean Latting has put into action over the last year will continue to incrementally impact how the Admission Office communicates and engages with prospective audiences, leverages technology to streamline a multitude of processes, and re-think how highly selective admission should work.”

– By Wendy Becker

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