<P> There are differing views on how many schools a student should apply to . Several reports suggest that applying to too many schools caused unnecessary stress and expense, and hampers a student from targeting applications to a few select schools . But other advisors suggest that applying to more schools increases overall chances for acceptance . Mamlet and VanDeVelde suggest applying to eight to ten schools is best, and that applying to too many schools is counterproductive . There are reports that the average number of schools that students are applying to has been increasing, perhaps because of greater use of the Common Application . In 2008, applications to Harvard University had increased to a record number at 27,278, a 19% increase from the year before . One effect of these numerous applications is to lower the average yield of colleges, which dropped from 46% to 38% in 2001 according to one account . </P> <P> There are reports that some college admissions departments scrutinize applicants' personalities online, such as Facebook or MySpace profiles, and as a result, they urge students to remove "sarcastic jokes, bad pictures, or political cartoons," and be wary about what their friends post on their pages as well . A concurring report suggested that some offices have people tasked with "checking out applicants' Facebook pages", although there is a contrasting report from one college recruiter who said that their policy is not to examine Facebook profiles and that "Facebook is reserved for students on a recreational basis ." The same caution applies to email addresses; one advisor cautions against having jazzed - up email addresses such as "Spicychick@gmail.com", but rather that users should stick with their name, if possible, since it can help colleges find a student's records . </P> <Table> Acceptances at selective schools: early vs regular admission (2009) <Tr> <Th> School </Th> <Th> Overall </Th> <Th> Early </Th> <Th> Regular </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Brown </Td> <Td> 14% </Td> <Td> 23% </Td> <Td> 13% </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Columbia </Td> <Td> 11% </Td> <Td> 24% </Td> <Td> 9% </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Cornell </Td> <Td> 21% </Td> <Td> 37% </Td> <Td> 20% </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Dartmouth </Td> <Td> 15% </Td> <Td> 21% </Td> <Td> 6% </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Harvard </Td> <Td> 9% </Td> <Td> 21% </Td> <Td> 6% </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Pennsylvania </Td> <Td> 9% </Td> <Td> 26% </Td> <Td> 7% </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Princeton </Td> <Td> 6% </Td> <Td> 17% </Td> <Td> 5% </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Yale </Td> <Td> 10% </Td> <Td> 20% </Td> <Td> 12% </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Stanford </Td> <Td> 10% </Td> <Td> 16% </Td> <Td> 9% </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> MIT </Td> <Td> 12% </Td> <Td> 11% </Td> <Td> 13% </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Total </Td> <Td> 14% </Td> <Td> 26% </Td> <Td> 12% </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Th> School </Th> <Th> Overall </Th> <Th> Early </Th> <Th> Regular </Th> </Tr>

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