January 10, 2010

Drexel U. Brings On a New Wave of Applicants

With its 'VIP' application, the university broadens its recruitment reach

Sarah Bones for The Chronicle

Admissions decision making has traditionally been a slow process, something that has added to the field's mystique. But early-answer programs show that the wheels can turn faster if need be.

By Eric Hoover

Philadelphia

Each day brings a flood of paper. On a Tuesday afternoon another wave of documents—high-school transcripts, test-score reports, letters of recommendation—has hit Drexel University's application-processing center. Near the door, eight employees open the mail, code the contents, and then feed each page into scanners. Around the corner, nearly two dozen workers type away at computers, assembling the disparate pieces of each student's application into a single digital file, which the