MIT also reduced its self-help by $2,000. Dartmouth moved to replace some loans with grants, boosting aid packages by at least $1,225. Stanford University also gave a incremental boost to financial aid this year, decreasing the self-help portion of the package by $250.

Harvard Admits

Acceptance letters from Harvard University are increasingly rare. This year, barely 10.7 percent of Harvard's record number 19,009 applicants were accepted to the College.

The competitive atmosphere surrounding college admissions process continues to worry high school guidance counselors, as students are increasingly focused on achieving the credentials necessary to insure admission--even paying for application advice.

To respond to the pressure created by college admissions, Harvard's Office of Admissions released a statement this fall, entitled "Time Out or Burn Out." The statement addressed the race toward success that results in over-programmed and unhappy applicants.

"The pressure of gaining entrance to the most selective colleges is commonly blamed for much of the stress we observe," reads the statement.

The Office of Admissions suggested that students focus more on personal growth instead of becoming ideal applicants for college acceptance.

"Those of us who work in college admissions recognize that college is only one of many destinations in the fast lane," the statement continues. "The accumulation of 'credentials' simply continues to intensify as the stakes increase."

Some of the solutions for these "dazed survivors of some lifelong boot camp," sound inconsistent with the Office of Admissions' purpose, considering the office's role is to promote Harvard to talented students.

The office suggests families encourage down-time, summers without internships but "old-fashioned" jobs, and most surprising, the selection of a college based not only on "brand name" or "reputation" but because the school is the "best fit" for students.

The admissions office also suggested students take time off before college. For those who waited a year before entering college, admissions officers found that these students entered the College with a clearer idea of academic plans, extracurricular pursuits and "the intangibles they hoped to gain in college."

As of now, a record 43 students have decided to postpone entering the College until the fall of 2006. This number usually hovers in the low 20s.

In a May interview, McGrath-Lewis said, "The letter legitimizes a student's decision to take time off... I think people are listening to what the admissions office has to say."

The deferrals are expected to cut into Harvard's yield, or the percentage of admitted students who decide to matriculate, for deferred students count as "no-shows." This number is the highest among selective colleges and is often used as a measure of a college's competitiveness.