Have you broken an early decision contract?

[Anonymous]

If so...under what circumstances and what are the penalties, etc. Thank you!

[Anonymous]

I don't think there is anything stopping a school from contacting (informally or not) the school you chose, OP.

[Anonymous]

I know of someone who broke it. That school put the word out and other schools revoked their offers. Kid did their first year at the local community college.

[Anonymous]

Some colleges require that the school guidance counselor sign the contract after the rejection period terminates, agreeing that the school won't send out the final transcript to any other colleges. You can't enroll without it.

By the rejection period....if you need financial aid, and the aid awarded is not enough to attend, you can reject the admission and aid package and then are free to await results from other colleges. However, you must reject the package BEFORE you get results from other colleges.

Years ago, our high school messed up and failed to send transcripts to X college. X college would not let any students register for class until the transcripts were received.

I know in one well publicized case, the student ended up going to St Andrews because it doesn't--or at least didn't --follow US rules.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some colleges require that the school guidance counselor sign the contract after the rejection period terminates, agreeing that the school won't send out the final transcript to any other colleges. You can't enroll without it.

By the rejection period....if you need financial aid, and the aid awarded is not enough to attend, you can reject the admission and aid package and then are free to await results from other colleges. However, you must reject the package BEFORE you get results from other colleges.

Years ago, our high school messed up and failed to send transcripts to X college. X college would not let any students register for class until the transcripts were received.

I know in one well publicized case, the student ended up going to St Andrews because it doesn't--or at least didn't --follow US rules.

+1

St. Andrews is a fall back for many U.S. students.

[Anonymous]

OP, is your kid regretting an ED application? If so, maybe it would be preferable to call them up and see if you can withdraw the application now, before notifications? The ED school could still give the slot to another kid, but once decisions are mailed that ship will have saile.d

[Anonymous]

DS backed out of an ED decision last year. He was accepted ED at one school. He didn’t receive any financial aid. He was subsequently accepted to another school with a much lower cost of attendance. He told the ED school that they did not meet his financial needs. He is now attending the subsequent school. No repercussions. The counselor supported DC’s decision, as the ED school would’ve cost our family much more than the ED school. High school sent the transcript to the school he know attends.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, is your kid regretting an ED application? If so, maybe it would be preferable to call them up and see if you can withdraw the application now, before notifications? The ED school could still give the slot to another kid, but once decisions are mailed that ship will have saile.d

Don’t need school’s permission. An ED app can be withdrawn anytime before notification of acceptance.

[Anonymous]

Several schools we visited stated in the info session that they do not enforce an ED agreement if the student doesn’t get the aid they would need to be able to pay for it. Since FASA isn’t out yet I bet that makes things more complicated this year.

[Anonymous]

Be very careful. If the NPC is lower than the actual financial aid offer, you have a case. Otherwise, these schools are quite serious about ED contracts and will absolutely let their peers know about your student's infractions. It may also cause the impacted school to blackball your child's high school (hence counselors' unwillingness to send transcripts).

[Anonymous]

Backed out last year from a top 10. Finances just didn't work out. Went with a peer school without any ramifications.

[Anonymous]

I think that any school that poison pills a student at other schools is just begging for a lawsuit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think that any school that poison pills a student at other schools is just begging for a lawsuit.

but what do I know I’m no lawyer

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know of someone who broke it. That school put the word out and other schools revoked their offers. Kid did their first year at the local community college.

This didn’t happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Backed out last year from a top 10. Finances just didn't work out. Went with a peer school without any ramifications.

The peer school numbers worked?