University leaders are just as baffled by the high number of early applicants this year as students and their parents are. While no one is certain why early applications were up this year, one thing is clear – most schools experienced an increase in the number of students sending in early applications. Although a couple schools with early admissions programs actually saw a decrease in the number of applicants, including Yale and Williams, the majority stayed the same or actually saw an increase in early applicants despite the troubled economy.

“I wish I knew the answer why,” said James S. Miller, who is the dean of admissions at Brown University, in a New York Times article.  “The university president asked my, and I told her I just don’t know.”

Obviously, answering the “Why” question is important to colleges and universities, as finding the answer to this question can help them with making marketing decisions in the future. Could it be because of President Obama’s urging of all Americans to head back to school? Is it because of special tax breaks and incentives that have been put into place for college students, including the extra education benefits that military personnel are now receiving? While these scenarios can certainly explain why more people are showing an interest in college, it does little to explain why more have decided to participate in the early admissions programs that these schools have to offer.