Last week, Yale University announced a change in its admissions policy. Effective for the class of 2008, early decision will no longer be binding. In making this change, Yale is following in the footsteps of Stanford University, which also now has a non-binding early action admissions program. As a competitive school, this makes us wonder whether Amherst, too, should reconsider its stance on early admittance.

A binding early decision policy limits the College's (early) applicant pool by attracting only those students who genuinely hold Amherst as their first choice. Though the idea is appealing in theory, it is not necessarily the case in practice. It is commonly known among admissions officers and prospective students that there is a fairly significant disparity between the acceptance rates for early and regular admissions. Because the former is usually higher, students often feel compelled to submit at least one application early, whether or not it is to his or her first choice school. High school students end up strategizing early on in their senior year, simply to increase the chance of being accepted at a top school.

Instituting a nonbinding early admission process at the College would be very beneficial to students by giving them more time to thoughtfully consider their options, both academically and financially. The College should consider this benefit, like many other top schools have, in their maintenance or elimination of early decision.

Most importantly, students admitted early decision to one school and regular decision to others will be able to factor in their financial aid packages when deciding on their choices. Also, admissions officers will be able to focus less on filling up the class as early as possible and will be able to pay more attention to admitting students to the College based on their qualifications.