<p>One of the things I like most about Princeton is that it doesn’t do any of the gimmicks that its peer institutions do. No grade inflation, no early programs–sure, it hurts Princeton’s stats–but I think that only makes it more admirable.</p>
<p>I understand that it would be nicer for prospective applicants to apply early, I am against it. For me, Princeton wasn’t my top choice, though it was certainly up there. I wouldn’t have applied early to Princeton. I would (and did) apply early to Yale, where I eventually got rejected. And then I would (and did) apply to Princeton during its regular round, where I was thankfully accepted. If Princeton had had its early program, it would already have selected a significant amount of its applicants early, and I’m not so certain that I would have made it in.</p>
<p>In an ideal world, early programs would be obliterated altogether. I respect Harvard and Princeton for doing so. Now, if only Stanford, Yale, MIT, etc. would get rid of theirs as well…</p>