美国的大学本科录取分三种形式：即具有约束力的“提前录取”(简称“ED”)、不具约束力的“提前行动”(简称“EA”)和“常规录取”(简称 “RD”)，前两种统称提前申请。因为针对性比较强，所以前两种的录取率往往较高，因此这两年受到了越来越多的关注。

　　The Early Line on Early Applications for the Class of 2016

　　The window for applying to many colleges and universities under early admission programs closed late Tuesday night. While it will be some time before a definitive statistical portrait emerges of this early admissions season,The Choice has been dutifully requesting application figures from a range of more than 100 institutions. The chart above, which we’ll be updating regularly as other figures trickle in, represents the equivalent of early returns in an election, with results from two dozen “precincts.”

　　上个周二，美国大学提前录取的申请已经截止了。如果能够看到确切的统计数据，目前来说还是需要一点时间的。纽约时报的the choice栏目忠实的为大家收集了超过100所机构的申请数据。上面的那个图表会随着数据的增加持续更新。

　　Such programs have been hotly-debated in academic circles for years. Some high school counselors argue that they unnecessarily speed up students’ decision process, favor the savvy (including those with access to the most sophisticated college counseling) and — in the case of so-called binding early decision plans — restrict applicants’ efforts to compare financial aid offers (because students applying to binding programs agree in advance to enroll if accepted). The colleges and universities (and many students) have a different take: such programs reward those applicants and institutions that are willing to make a definitive decision early in the admissions process. It is not unusual for a private college to admit a quarter or more of its freshman class early.

　　If the figures gathered thus far are any indication, such programs are continuing to grow in popularity this fall, despite a sluggish economy that would otherwise seem to give families reason to hedge their bets. But every year serves as a reminder that the quest to get into the nation’s most competitive private colleges is often immune to the economic pressures on many families.

　　如果说上面数据能给我们一些启示的话，最明显的就是提前录取申请人数继续增加。尽管经济萧条足以让家庭重新来规划他们的预算，但是每年的结果都是对私立大学的追求永远是对家庭的经济压力是免疫的。

　　For example, applications under binding early decision programs increased by 20 percent at Boston University, to 1,057; by 15 percent at Northwestern, to 2,450; by 5.5 percent at Brown, to almost 3,000 (for a total freshman class of 1,500); by nearly 4 percent at Cornell, to 3,609; and by 8 percent at William & Mary, to 1,167. The Choice reported last weekthat applications to Duke‘s binding early decision program were up 23 percent, and that the comparable figure at Johns Hopkins was 15 percent.

　　比如，在美国大学ED申请中，波士顿大学增加了百分之二十，东北大学增加了百人之十五，布朗大学增加了百分之五点五，康奈尔大学增加了百分之四，威廉玛丽学院增加了百分之八，杜克大学增加了百分之二十三，约翰·霍普金斯大学增加了百分之十五。

　　While applications to most colleges reporting thus far — whether under early decision or non-binding early action — are up, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology said applications under its early action program had fallen nearly 5 percent, to 6,100; and Rensselaer Polytechnic and the University of Pennsylvania said applications under its binding early decision programs had fallen by 7 percent and just under 1 percent, respectively.

　　尽管，不论是ED还是EA,美国大学提前录取申请者的数量都普遍增加了，但是麻省理工学院的提前录取申请者数量下降了百分之五，伦斯勒理工学院下降了百分之七，宾夕法尼亚大学下降了百分之一。

　　In the case of UPenn, several factors appeared to be in play, Eric J. Furda, the dean of admissions, said in an interview. One was that the university was coming off a nearly 20 percent increase in early applications in 2010, when compared to 2009. “I feel we’re approaching an upper limit,” Mr. Furda said, citing the national economy as a prod.

　　宾夕法尼亚大学的招生主任Eric J. Furda在接受采访时表示，该校申请人数2010年与2009年相比几乎增加了百分之二十。

　　But he also acknowledged that UPenn had likely lost several dozen potential early applicants to Princeton and Harvard, each of which restored early admission programs this fall after a four-year hiatus. The Princeton and Harvard programs are not binding (students who are accepted early can wait until as late as May 1 to decide whether to attend) but students are prohibited from applying early to any other private college. The Choice reported last week that Princeton had received more than 3,500 applications under its so-called “single choice” early action program. We’ll be sure to pass along figures from Harvard as soon as we receive them.

　　但宾夕法尼亚大学的Eric J. Furda同时也表示，自己在提前提前录取申请中损失部分学生，因为他们申请了哈佛大学或者普林斯顿。普林斯顿和哈佛的提前录取不是binding的(学生可以在五月一日再决定是否接受录取)，但是这些学生被禁止提前申请其他的私立大学。普林斯顿大学在“single choice”提前申请中有3500名学生报名。我们如果得到消息，会给大家提供哈佛大学的招生人数。