YALE HAS MADE a non-binding decision on early action: In a meeting last week, the school's board chose not to follow Harvard and Princeton in eliminating its early admissions program. But President Richard Levin tells the YDN: "That's not a final decision." Oh, the stress of college admissions.

The wavering at Yale is somewhat suprising, since Levin has long been critical of early admissions and, in 2002, sought approval from the Justice Department to drop the program along with other schools. Perhaps the YDN could explain what accounts for the newfound apprehension.

One reason may be the tepid response from other rivals, now trickling out over the op-ed pages of national newspapers. Following Stanford Provost John Etchemendy's defiant stance in the New York Times last week, UPenn President Amy Gutmann took to the Washington Post on Sunday with a similar defense of early admissions. (The Daily Pennsylvanian notes the latter today.)

The Gutmann op-ed is significant if only for its tone, including this caustic concluding paragraph:

Both the ideal of equal educational opportunity and the reality of our country's future standing in the world demand that academia not be distracted by internecine debates in which relatively little will be gained or lost, regardless of who is right, and instead focus our efforts on providing a quality education and increasing financial aid based on need for all students.

IT'S ALSO FASCINATING to read Gutmann's salvo in light of today's Crimson scoop on her travels to Cambridge this weekend. Surprised by reporters outside her hotel, Gutmann sort-of repeated her sort-of denial of any interest in the Harvard presidency, but her mere presence in the vicinity of the Yard is likely to dominate talk among Ivy watchers this week. Will the DP get on her case tomorrow? Their opinion blog is already on it.

COLUMBIA AND YALE officially launched their capital campaigns, as covered in advance by the Spectator and YDN. Their respective follow-ups are heavy on pomp and circumstance.

The Spec notes that blueberry muffins were "packaged in special Columbia Campaign wrappers," clearly as a signal to potential donors that they're money will not be wasted. There's also a news analysis, slugged "IMPLICATIONS," that places the campaign in the broader context of higher-education development.

The YDN has this color:

Student singers drawn from groups including the Duke's Men, Slavic Chorus, the New Blue and the Whiffenpoofs capped off the dinner with a modified version of the song "Tomorrow" from the musical "Annie," substituting "Thank you for all of Yale" for "We're only a day away."

Sounds like you had to be there. (But a question for the YDN: Friday's story, citing an unnamed "administration official," said Yale would announce that it had already raised between $500,000 and $1 million. The figure actually came in at $1.3 million. What gives?)

YALE ADDED "GENDER identity or expression" to its nondiscrimination policy, the YDN learns. Dartmouth saw incidents of sexual assault jump 75 percent last year, the Dartmouth reports. And the lead story in the Cornell Daily Sun is: "Culture May Solve N. Korean Issues." In fairness, the off-lead is: "Yellow Team Wins Greek Week 2006."

IN IVY OPINIONS, the director of career services at Dartmouth encourages students to try the Peace Corps over Goldman Sachs. And the Prince explains its policy on editorials.