1.   And the numbers of early applicants have continued to rise.

2.   As competition for admission to the most prestigious colleges and universities has increased in recent years, the number of early applicants has skyrocketed.

3.   By taking a large portion of the class from the early applicant pool, the statistical chances of later admission become far smaller.

4.   In an abrupt reversal after a flood of early applicants, Brown University has said it will scrap its two-year-old early admissions policy.

5.   Instead of allowing early applicants to seek admission simultaneously to other schools, Brown will now accept early applications only from students seeking to enter Brown alone.

6.   Moreover, the early applicant pool is essentially white, suburban and financially secure.

7.   Most college officials surveyed said the geographic distribution of early applicants had changed little from previous years.

8.   Meanwhile, the colleges that use binding early admissions to lock in top students are encouraging the practice by accepting more early applicants.

9.   Most colleges, including Yale, argue that they take more early applicants because they are stronger, on average, than the later applicants.

10.   Some other colleges and universities, like Brown, rejected a higher proportion of their early applicants this year, even though they did not formally change their policy.