A recent guest essay urging the end of college early‑decision programs drew strong reader reaction, reopening campus debates about admissions equity and institutional revenue models. Commenters described early decision as both an unfair advantage for affluent applicants and a strategic enrollment tool that stabilizes yield rates. The backlash underscores pressure on admissions offices and boards to weigh financial predictability against equity goals. Private colleges that rely on early‑decision admit pools face governing‑board questions about whether to preserve the mechanism or pivot to more transparent, need‑sensitive options. For provosts and enrollment executives, the episode signals that policy changes on binding application plans will remain a focal point in trustee meetings and public‑facing admissions narratives.
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