Every November, thousands of enthusiastic high school seniors in the United States choose to apply to colleges and universities through the early decision admission process. The early option allows applicants to show their dedication and willingness to spend the next four years at certain universities and colleges—and gives them a better chance of acceptance.

Early decision (ED) applications for Washington University were due this Nov. 15.

Washington University has had an ED option for around 20 years, and in the past few years, the number of applicants has increased significantly.

Unlike institutions that only offer early action or regular decision, the University has not considered altering or eliminating ED. The admissions office feels that ED is a process that best serves both applicants and the University.

“Applying to early decision shows that the students are really enthusiastic about Wash. U. and want to end up in here,” said Julie Shimabukuro, director of admissions at the University.

Every year, the University chooses nearly 30 percent of the freshman class from the ED round. The acceptance rate for ED applicants is higher than for regular decision applicants, but the University does not release exact numbers.

Though the admissions office is still not sure about the exact number of this year’s applicants and the admission rate, admissions officials do not expect the number to vary significantly from past years.

Applicants to the Class of 2015 have shown a variety of interests in all majors, and it is hard to determine which are the “hottest.” But several majors continue to keep their popularity among prospective students, including biology, chemistry, biomedical engineering, psychology, economics and anthropology.

The University has always focused on seeking a well-rounded student body with a wide range of abilities and interesting backgrounds. According to Shimabukuro, The Office of Undergraduate Admissions will not vary its decisions because of the applicants’ major choices.

Though admissions has aimed to maintain a relatively small class for the last few years, incoming classes have gotten larger as an increasing number of students have accepted offers from the University.

Since the admissions office can’t predict how applicants will react, Shimabukuro says that there may be a lower acceptance rate and a longer waiting list during the regular decision admission process to keep class sizes smaller.

The ED candidates for the University are not significantly different from those applying regular decision, and the admissions office makes decisions following a similar format. According to Shimabukuro, academics always comes first, for the University is interested in ensuring that students are academically focused and willing to challenge themselves.

Admissions also must make sure the applicant would be able to fit into the community. Personal essays, recommendations and extra-curricular activities play essential roles in this part—they not only reveal the applicants’ broad interests but also indicate whether the students will work and fit in with the faculty and the student body here.

“We want to help students to be able to grow at Wash. U.,” Shimabukuro said.

Washington University is ranked 13th in the country by U.S. News & World Report and continues to attract top freshmen. Inviting prospective students to campus for weekends designed to appeal to them is one of the most effective ways to attract students. The visiting students get a chance to talk to Washington University faculty in person, hear opinions of current students and get a feel of the community for themselves. It enables the applicants to list the pros and cons on their own, and the outcome usually exceeds visitors’ expectations, Shimabukuro said.

“They are always surprised and excited about how smart, engaging and open Wash. U. is,” Shimabukuro said. “ED applicants all seem to have been influenced by one or more of our current students’ enthusiasm about WU.”