Looks like the crimson school of the Ivy League will be living up to its trailblazing reputation as it takes a revolutionary and independent turn in its undergraduate application process.

Starting in the fall of 2008, Harvard University — and Princeton University, as of Sept. 18 — will abandon their early admission programs. But as Harvard daringly says goodbye to the system, there is little reason to believe that the change will truly support diversity at the campus.

Early admission programs have drawn national criticism from college officials, who argue that the programs favor wealthy students who are more likely to be aware of the option. Participation in the program increases the likelihood of acceptance: Harvard granted admission to 21 percent of early applicants last year, compared to an overall acceptance rate of around 10 percent.

Additionally, many financially strapped students are unable to take advantage of early admission programs, as committing to a school so early reduces their ability to compare aid packages at competing schools.

“I think there are lots of very talented students out there from poor and moderate-income backgrounds who have been discouraged by this whole hocus-pocus of early admissions by many of the nation’s top colleges,” Harvard College’s Dean of Admission William Fitzsimmons said.

The simple boldness and passion of the university’s officials — like that of Fitzsimmons — unfortunately won’t be enough to bring about change. While Harvard’s decision may have been motivated by a desire to increase opportunities for both low-income and minority admission seekers, the method is unlikely to help either cause.

A comparison of ethnic enrollment numbers at Harvard to those at the University of Michigan, a public school without an early admission program, gives only modest hope to Harvard’s plan.

The number of Latino students enrolled at the University of Michigan in the fall of 2003 was approximately 4.9 percent, according to the university’s yearly enrollment statistics, with Harvard’s figures close at 7 percent. Moreover the numbers of blacks and Native Americans were also strikingly similar, with Harvard at 8 percent and 1 percent, respectively, while the University of Michigan had 7.9 percent and .7 percent.

With such a minimal difference between the enrollment statistics at both schools — one with an early admission program, the other without — it’s doubtful a shift toward a public school type of application process will bring significant change to Harvard’s admissions numbers.

But officials in education circles are giving nothing but praise to the Boston-based Ivy League school.

“The most powerful institution in the country is saying, singularly, yes, something is wrong with this and we’re going to try to act in the public interest,” said Lloyd Thacker, the executive director of the Education Conservancy, a nonprofit organization committed to improving college admission processes.

No matter how much credit can be given to the university for going its own way, none should be convinced this is a solution to the problem of limited academic opportunities for minority and low-income students.

Truly broadening opportunities for the low-income group of applicants would involve funding outreach programs to help educate disadvantaged students about the benfits of college and the possibilities for financial aid. Without this help, there’s little hope that these students can receive a fair chance in the admissions process, early admission or not.

But while it is doubtful that the termination of the early admission program will bring any significant change in the ethnic makeup of the university, one positive side effect will hopefully be felt.

According to Derek Bok, the interim Harvard president, “[the end of early admissions] will improve the climate in high schools so that students don’t start getting preoccupied in their junior year about which college to go to.”

With high school students more stressed due to the increase in competition among college applicants, it will be well worth the cost of changing the system, even if stress relief is the only improvement the decision will bring.

According to an April article in USA Today, the record number of college applicants and the low admission rates of schools — especially of those like Harvard, Yale and Duke, which accept less than 10 percent of their applicants — force students to apply to more colleges. This, in turn, requires more work from high school seniors and hence a greater level of stress, especially considering the high financial cost of applications.

If the end of early admission programs lights the way to a healthier atmosphere for green students applying for their four-year future, then Harvard and Princeton should be congratulated, even if it is eliminating the system for the wrong reasons. Perhaps this revolution will open the eyes of other early admission programs and universities to modify their policies that feed the increasingly competitive struggle to get into college.