Early applications can either make or break the Winter Term for many Seniors. If a student is accepted, a burden is lifted. However, if he or she is denied or deferred, the pressure remains. For two seniors, Lucretia Witte ’06 and Ben Lasman ’06, the results of their early application brought mixed feelings. Lasman applied early to Columbia University and University of Chicago. He was accepted by University of Chicago, but deferred from Columbia. Since U. Chicago has an Early Action process, Lasman’s acceptance is non-binding. Columbia, on the other hand, follows the Early Decision system, under which students make a binding agreement to attend the school if admitted. After receiving the results from U. Chicago and Columbia, Lasman applied to three other schools, the University of Pennsylvania, Yale University, and Brown University. Lasman feels that his experience from the early application process has helped him develop better regular application essays. He said, “During the first application, all of the essays are more or less new to you. I think progressively it gets easier and easier. In my other three [regular applications], I used really similar essays. I had the same line of thinking.” Although Lasman did not receive exactly the news he had hoped for, he was pleased with the results of his early applications. In addition, Lasman said that he realized Columbia was not necessarily his first choice. “If I got into schools besides Columbia there would be no clear-cut choice. I would probably have to visit first,” he said. Because he wanted to study in a metropolitan setting, Lasman decided to apply to large, urban, Ivy League schools. Lasman now has to wait until May 1 to hear from the other schools to which he has applied and to accept or decline the University of Chicago’s offer of admittance. Witte applied early to Dartmouth College and was deferred. Upon receiving the news, Witte applied to nine other schools. She also revised her list of favorite schools. Originally, Witte intended to apply only to liberal arts colleges in the Northeast. However, as the deadlines approached, Witte researched schools that her friends recommended, including Duke and Georgetown. Witte said, “Duke has moved way up my list after my research; I’m really happy that I did look at it.” In addition, as Witte researched schools she had once adamantly pursued moved down her list. She said, “When I first started I had a very strict image in mind. But I realized that some of the ones I planned on applying to weren’t for me.” Nevertheless, Witte applied to some liberal arts colleges, including Middlebury and Wellesley Colleges. Although Witte’s research allowed her to widen her horizons, it also blurred her preferences. She said, “Since I diversified, I don’t really know what my top choice is.” Witte is also considering the possibility of participating in Varsity sports, specifically tennis, in college. She is discussing this option with several coaches. “I was looking for schools where I thought I could get involved with a particular aspect. Some of the smaller schools I was looking to get involved in their athletic scene. In the larger schools I looked for programs in my areas of interest,” said Witte. Despite the setback at Dartmouth, Witte still has the school at the top of her list. Since Witte applied to nine other schools, the application process has been quite daunting, but the common application significantly reduced the amount of work she needed to do. While Lasman and Witte’s early applications may not have turned out as they had hoped, the process did allow them to reconsider the characteristics they wanted in a college.
