Not worth ED for UVA - no real advantage

[Anonymous]

I just went on a tour and someone asked about ED and whether there is an admissions advantage and what they said was surprising. There isn't any.

ED in-state acceptance rate was 30% last year. EA in-state was 28% last year. The pool of ED applicants was about 4.5K and only 782 in-state students were accepted ED.

Someone mentioned that the only reason to apply ED vs. EA is trying to get what is essentially a demonstrated interest boost by signing the binding contract. But UVA doesn't consider demonstrated interest, and the differences in admission rates are not significant. It might actually be harder to get into ED vs. EA because a lot of recruited athletes apply ED and it is enough to skew the numbers.

Anyways, the benefits of ED simply aren't there beyond a 1.5 month earlier decision. EA will have similar admission criteria, but allow you to see what other schools you got into and what amounts of aid they are offering.

I just don't see the advantage and a bunch of disadvantages of ED for UVA. Both ED and EA provide admissions advantages over the RD in-state rate of 16%.

[Anonymous]

eh my kid applied ED (class of 21) and I think the only reason she got in was because she did ED. Her stats were a good bit below others in her class who did not apply ED and did not end up getting in (applied EA or RD).

They always say it doesn't matter, but I still believe it did make a difference.

not to mention, it was just awesome to have a December decision for many reasons. First, no more stress. Second, all the kids who get in ED tend to want to get to know each other and join a big group me. My DD is still friends with people she met in that group me. Became real easy to pic a roommate. Lots of choices, met up with a couple of them and picked one.

So if it's your first choice and even a tiny reach, I still think its worth doing it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:eh my kid applied ED (class of 21) and I think the only reason she got in was because she did ED. Her stats were a good bit below others in her class who did not apply ED and did not end up getting in (applied EA or RD).

They always say it doesn't matter, but I still believe it did make a difference.

not to mention, it was just awesome to have a December decision for many reasons. First, no more stress. Second, all the kids who get in ED tend to want to get to know each other and join a big group me. My DD is still friends with people she met in that group me. Became real easy to pic a roommate. Lots of choices, met up with a couple of them and picked one.

So if it's your first choice and even a tiny reach, I still think its worth doing it.

Trends from 2020 are much different from 2023. The stats don't show an admissions advantage in 2023.

[Anonymous]

Don't other FCPS parents think the HS counselors have -something- to do with who is more likely to get in and who is less likely. I wouldn't wait. If stats are competitive, apply ED.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't other FCPS parents think the HS counselors have -something- to do with who is more likely to get in and who is less likely. I wouldn't wait. If stats are competitive, apply ED.

There is no waiting. ED and EA have the same application deadline of 11/1/24. The main difference is the ED is binding, but EA is not. If there is no admissions boost from ED over EA, then what is exactly the point of ED over EA? It just takes away option from your child.

[Anonymous]

No one can know everyone’s stats, essays, recs, etc of course…but there is still the sense that ED gives a tiny bit of a boost for some kids in our huge public HS.

[Anonymous]

You realize that they will also say they don't discriminate against Asian-Americans...

[Anonymous]

They say it doesn't matter, but the year Dc graduated HS in 22, the difference between ED acceptance in state and EA accepting in state was 8%. So, it did matter, and DC got in ED.

The difference between ED instate acceptance and EA acceptance changes each year, it's hard to predict.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No one can know everyone’s stats, essays, recs, etc of course…but there is still the sense that ED gives a tiny bit of a boost for some kids in our huge public HS.

The stats just don't bear this out. I only posted this because I think there is a big misperception there is an advantage and it seems completely illusory. I was shocked when I read the stats after the tour. I think a lot of parents and rising seniors will be very surprised. EA or ED provides a boost over RD, but the ED over EA advantages just aren't there to give up your ability to apply other schools and see what your options are.

Many parents told me ED gives an advantage. But it is only over RD, not EA. UVA's ED system doesn't appear to be a method to manipulate yield like schools like UChicago and Tulane do, or even Dartmouth. The EA is a much more attractive option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They say it doesn't matter, but the year Dc graduated HS in 22, the difference between ED acceptance in state and EA accepting in state was 8%. So, it did matter, and DC got in ED.

The difference between ED instate acceptance and EA acceptance changes each year, it's hard to predict.

The trend is increasing applications for ED and keeping the ED admissions about the same. It narrowed to 4% for class of 2023, and then 2% in class of 2024.

It isn't a wild trendline. The ties to the staff saying there is no advantage. Remember ED includes a lot of recruited athletes in that 700 or so ED acceptance pool.

Just stating parent's talking about this ED advantage from years ago is like them saying stuff like VT has a 70% acceptance rate or JMU has a 90% acceptance rate, when things have really changed the last few years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No one can know everyone’s stats, essays, recs, etc of course…but there is still the sense that ED gives a tiny bit of a boost for some kids in our huge public HS.

The stats just don't bear this out. I only posted this because I think there is a big misperception there is an advantage and it seems completely illusory. I was shocked when I read the stats after the tour. I think a lot of parents and rising seniors will be very surprised. EA or ED provides a boost over RD, but the ED over EA advantages just aren't there to give up your ability to apply other schools and see what your options are.

Many parents told me ED gives an advantage. But it is only over RD, not EA. UVA's ED system doesn't appear to be a method to manipulate yield like schools like UChicago and Tulane do, or even Dartmouth. The EA is a much more attractive option.

Have you considered that colleges have a political motive to appear to be dissuading ED applications vs EA because ED is criticized as favoring those who do not need to shop around financial aid? The reality is that for those who can afford it, even a modicum of additional advantage is likely worth it.

[Anonymous]

UVA admissions wont consider midyear grades if you apply EA. And this year the school just moved you directly to the waitlist rather than putting you in the reconsider regular pool.

Finally, UVA admissions clearly had a cookie-cutter "we need to take so many students in each of regular, EA, and ED." But then so many kids apply in the EA pool--without midyear grades--to then be dumped into a waitlist. EA is probably the toughest pool of kids who were then more likely to be forced onto a waitlist.

UVA has by far the worst system for admitting students.

[Anonymous]

It’s well known that there isn’t an admission advantage there with ED but it’s great if it’s their first choice because they are notified earlier and, if admitted, are done with applications.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s well known that there isn’t an admission advantage there with ED but it’s great if it’s their first choice because they are notified earlier and, if admitted, are done with applications.

OP here, that's the point why I made this thread. As I think it is not well known and the above posters seem to try to claim it still exists if it did in the past. I've been told by many parents there was an advantage, UVA staff said their wasn't, and their recent stats backed it up.

EA and ED are very comparable and that is something parents and students should understand before signing a binding agreement.

At many schools the boost for ED is double or triple RD (where they don't have EA), so it seems like a big advantage. It just isn't for UVA in-state. EA at UVA seems like a really good option that is better than what many probably don't realize.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:UVA admissions wont consider midyear grades if you apply EA. And this year the school just moved you directly to the waitlist rather than putting you in the reconsider regular pool.

Finally, UVA admissions clearly had a cookie-cutter "we need to take so many students in each of regular, EA, and ED." But then so many kids apply in the EA pool--without midyear grades--to then be dumped into a waitlist. EA is probably the toughest pool of kids who were then more likely to be forced onto a waitlist.

UVA has by far the worst system for admitting students.

Stats for EA vs. ED just don't bear that out. I think it is an anecdotal perception.