Brown University to release early decision notices as the search goes on for a shooting suspect

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As a search continues for the person behind this weekend's mass shooting, Brown University was planning to issue early-decision admission offers to applicants Wednesday evening.

The Ivy League school delayed the release of the decisions, originally scheduled for Monday, after the shooting left two students dead and nine others wounded on Saturday. The university and public officials were facing mounting questions about security and the investigation as the hunt stretched on with the attacker still at large.

Brown informed applicants by email and on social media that early decision offers would be posted online around 7 p.m. EST Wednesday. Under early decision, applicants commit to attend the university if they are admitted.

A Brown spokesperson said the university understood the fear and anxiety that newly admitted students may be feeling and would work with any having second thoughts.

“For any admitted student who reaches out with concerns about moving forward with matriculation, we’ll work with them individually and personally to determine the right solution,” university spokesperson Brian E. Clark said.

While some students have talked about potentially pulling applications, those who are genuinely focused on Brown are unlikely to be deterred, said Allen Koh, chief executive officer of Cardinal Education, a California-based college admissions consulting company.

“Unfortunately, shootings have become a sad reality for young people today, and no school is completely immune, regardless of how elite or well-resourced it may be," Koh said. “At the same time, the probability of such incidents remains very low, and people still need to live their lives.”

Applying early decision typically improves a student's chances of winning admission at selective schools. Elite schools like Brown rely on early decision applications to drive tuition and revenue and fill about half the seats in their freshman class, said Daniel Lee, co-founder of Solomon Admissions Consulting.

On message boards and in conversations with college advisers, many students expressed shock and concern about the attack but said the shooting did not change their desire to attend Brown. The university’s daily newspaper, The Brown Daily Herald, quoted applicants who expressed a feeling that gun violence was a reality and “this could happen anywhere.”

In a message to applicants on Monday, the university apologized for the delay in early decision notifications. “We are faced with the reality of mourning the loss of members of our community taken from us from a terrible act of violence, even as we acknowledge that we’re on the eve of a very important day for our many talented applicants to Brown,” the message said. "(We) appreciate your patience and understanding as we grieve, heal, and begin to move forward together."

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