While Early Applicants of All Races Increase at Brown, Black Early Applicants Show a Drop

There were 75 black students who applied to Brown University this winter in the early admissions process. That is down more than 6 percent from a year ago. In contrast, the number of early applicants for all races was up 16 percent. For Asians and Latinos, early applications increased about 30 percent.

Overall, blacks made up only 3.1 percent of the early applicant pool at Brown this year. The low level of early applicants to Brown is in all likelihood caused by the fact that Brown's early applicant program is binding. This means that applicants accepted early must agree to enroll. Being locked into enrolling at one particular institution eliminates the ability of black students to bargain with competing institutions over financial aid awards.

At Brown, black applicants are far more likely to forgo the early decision process and instead apply for admission during the regular spring cycle. Last year, blacks were 6.4 percent of all applicants to Brown, more than double the percentage of the early applicant pool.

 

Copyright © 2006. The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education. All rights reserved.