A class action lawsuit has been filed against major prestigious universities for violating antitrust laws regarding their early decision admissions programs. On the 8th, three undergraduate students and one graduate filed an antitrust lawsuit against 32 universities across the United States, including Columbia, Cornell, the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn), and Duke, in the Massachusetts District Court for the Federal District of Massachusetts.
Early decision, a form of early decision admissions that the plaintiffs are challenging, requires students to enrol at their chosen university and prohibits them from applying to other universities. However, the plaintiffs allege that universities collude to enforce the early decision policy, despite it being legally non-binding. They argue that students who apply through early decision are disadvantaged by having to make their decision before even knowing how much financial aid the school will provide.
This, the plaintiffs argue, allows universities to reduce the amount of financial aid they receive and charge students more in tuition fees, eliminating the need to compete for students.
The plaintiffs are filing a class action lawsuit demanding compensation for the losses suffered by students who would have paid less in tuition without early decision. They are also demanding an end to the binding nature of early decision.