Decision date delays

With their college applications finished, seniors can relax a little, and prepare to hear back from colleges by mid-March. No, late March. No, by April first. No, on April sixth. 

In an already-stressful and unexpected year, many colleges are pushing back the dates they release decisions. What’s commonly known as “Ivy Day,” when Ivy League colleges release decisions, usually occurs in mid-March. This year, however, it’s been pushed back to April 6th. 

Many other colleges and universities have followed suit, leading to many decisions coming out later than any other year. Senior Emma Kronenberg says that of the 12 schools she applied to, “11 of those have pushed back their dates.” 

But why is this happening? Many colleges have seen huge increases in the number of applications they’ve received. According to “The Crimson,” Harvard College’s student newspaper, the school received over 57,000 applications this year, “roughly 42 percent more applications than last year.” 

Other schools have seen similar increases. Colgate University, in Hamilton, NY, saw a 102% increase in applications, aided by the fact that the university, like many colleges this year, does not require test scores, such as ACT or SAT tests, for admission. 

However, this trend hasn’t held true for all colleges. Jim Malatras, chancellor of SUNY schools, wrote this year that applications in the system “are down approximately 20 percent.” Smaller colleges across the country may be forced to close as a result of the pandemic. 

The bottom line here is that no one truly knows what to expect from college this year– not applying students, not administrators, not admissions officials. So it looks like we’ll all be playing the waiting game a little longer.