When Harvard was founded in 1636, there were no other colleges in the American colonies, and it would become the model for many of those that followed. When it began requiring applicants to take a test known as the SAT in 1935, Harvard started another trend. Two years ago, after it announced an aggressive new financial-aid policy, it helped push social class to the center of the national debate over higher education and forced two of its main competitors, Stanford and Yale, to follow its lead. Last week. Harvard began to make another effort to affect higher education in its image, its president, Derek Bok, announced that the college would abandon its early admissions program, which for decades has allowed high school seniors to apply in October and get an answer yes, no or maybe - in December, shortly before the regular deadline for applications. Harvard officials argue that the program is beneficial to rich students who don't need to compare financial-aid offers from various colleges. After the announcement, many people within education urged other colleges to take a similar step. "We're thrilled," said Laurie Kobick, a college counselor   at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Va. "I think it's going to make admissions better in so many different ways. It will indeed go a small way toward leveling the field among applicants. Of course, it will also have an effect on colleges, and the biggest winner will almost certainly be Harvard. a fact that may prevent many other colleges - perhaps all of them - from       following Hazard this time. Because any college that does so will risk losing some of its best applicants." Why does Laurie Kobick think other colleges may not follow Harvard?
Because they think the action will harm high education. Because they are afraid that the action is not practical. Because they may attract fewer top students than he[ore, Because they are afraid the action will damage their reputation.