The most selective colleges no longer adhere strictly to the historic common notification date, April 15, which has really been moved up to April 1. Like the less selective colleges, they try to steal a march on their competitors by unofficially admitting a percentage of the stronger candidates around March 15 or even earlier. Dartmouth, for example, has taken to sending out select early-notification-of-future admission letters to some strong applicants in February.

With a two-week, or two-month, head start, these colleges can put psychological pressure on you to accept their offers of admission, as tentative as they may be. Be prepared for this situation: you have applied to half a dozen or more selective colleges, four of which adhere to the now common date of April 1; two colleges announce in a letter of March 20 that you have been admitted to their freshman class. These admissions are contingent, the letters say, on your paying a fee prior to the Common Reply Date of May 1, which almost all colleges honor.

Well now, here is a pleasant surprise. We have told you that you will likely be admitted to at least one selective college, and often two, and this latter goal has been achieved. Is it not a bit greedy to wait to be admitted to one or more-of the more selective colleges that will not notify you until later? Why not accept a bird in hand?

• It is needlessly costly.
• You may want to review the financial aid package you receive from every college.
• If you are rejected by the other four colleges, you can probably enroll at one of the two that admitted you early, since it is obvious that you are an attractive candidate.
• The late March admissions are a signal that these colleges recognize you as the kind of candidate likely to be accepted by one of their more selective rivals. Therefore, you are not taking a very big risk in waiting a few more weeks; you are in a stronger position than you may think. Early notification, sometimes combined with preferred dormitory or honors program incentives, for example, is an attempt to stampede you into an acceptance at once when you can exercise it later.