Five Percent of the Students Accepted Early at Williams College Are Black

Now that Harvard University, Princeton University, and the University of Virginia have abandoned their early decision admissions programs, many other highly selective colleges and universities have seen major increases in early applicants.

Williams College in northwestern Massachusetts is rated as the No. 1 liberal arts college in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. At Williams, in common with many other highly selective colleges and universities, blacks have been generally reluctant to apply early because, if accepted, they are bound to enroll and therefore would lose leverage with which to bargain for more substantial financial aid from two or more competing institutions.

This year Williams College received 600 early decision applications, an increase of 13 percent from a year ago. The college accepted 223 of its 600 early decision applicants. Of these, only 12 African Americans were accepted. Thus, blacks make up 5.4 percent of all students accepted early at Williams.

In the current academic year, blacks make up 9.3 percent of all freshman students.

Copyright © 2008. The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education. All rights reserved.