The ED debate: is it really easier to get in for a non-athlete?

[Anonymous]

There are so many parents who tell me our DD got into Northwestern because she did ED but their child didn’t get in because of RD. DD is not an athlete and not full pay. We get about 50% of her bill paid by non student loan aid by NU.

Is it really THAT much easier to get in ED for a student like ours? She also competed with very good students who were on the ball about applying early.

I feel that sometimes people use not EDing as an excuse for why their child doesn’t get an acceptance. Wdyt?

[Anonymous]

Because ED acceptance rates are 2 or 3 times RD? Seems simple.

[Anonymous]

Of course! ED acceptance rates are much higher that RD.

[Anonymous]

At some schools there is no advantage. Other schools advertise a large advantage. Most schools are silent, and when schools are silent I think most people assume there is an advantage, especially if there seems to be a pattern at their high school of weaker students being accepted in ED and stronger students being rejected in RD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because ED acceptance rates are 2 or 3 times RD? Seems simple.

The appearance isn’t the reality for a typical unhooked applicant. ED is full of hooked kids who are almost 100% sure of admission (Athletes, Posse, Questbridge, etc.) which wildly skews the number.

[Anonymous]

Chicago, yes huge advantage ED.
Northwestern, yes moderate advantage ED.
Washu Emory Tufts all yes.

WASP? No advantage.

Most other top schools are somewhere in the middle.

[Anonymous]

Much easier to get ED and an unfair process that many families are not able to use. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/09/08/early-decision-lawsuit-college-admissions/

As a NU alum, I am ashamed how much NU leans into it these days.

[Anonymous]

DP. Is there ED advantage at Duke for unhooked kids?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Much easier to get ED and an unfair process that many families are not able to use. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/09/08/early-decision-lawsuit-college-admissions/

As a NU alum, I am ashamed how much NU leans into it these days.

I get being ashamed but they’re never going to stop. That’s the thing about rich-people schools, they are built to flatter and cater to rich people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At some schools there is no advantage. Other schools advertise a large advantage. Most schools are silent, and when schools are silent I think most people assume there is an advantage, especially if there seems to be a pattern at their high school of weaker students being accepted in ED and stronger students being rejected in RD.

This. It depends on the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Much easier to get ED and an unfair process that many families are not able to use. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/09/08/early-decision-lawsuit-college-admissions/

As a NU alum, I am ashamed how much NU leans into it these days.

I get being ashamed but they’re never going to stop. That’s the thing about rich-people schools, they are built to flatter and cater to rich people.

I don’t understand this sentiment. I was a need-based scholarship kid and DD will be full-pay. I am grateful for the “rich” families who I believe subsidized my college education. You do realize that there needs to a very good number of “rich” families for colleges to be able to give need-based scholarships, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Much easier to get ED and an unfair process that many families are not able to use. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/09/08/early-decision-lawsuit-college-admissions/

As a NU alum, I am ashamed how much NU leans into it these days.

I get being ashamed but they’re never going to stop. That’s the thing about rich-people schools, they are built to flatter and cater to rich people.

I don’t understand this sentiment. I was a need-based scholarship kid and DD will be full-pay. I am grateful for the “rich” families who I believe subsidized my college education. You do realize that there needs to a very good number of “rich” families for colleges to be able to give need-based scholarships, right?

You are forgetting that the majority of DCUM users are donut holders families whose kids are greatly disadvantaged by ED.

[Anonymous]

It also really depends on your high school. At my kids' school there really are no Questbridge or Posse kids and I don't think there's ever been a recruited athlete to Northwestern (if we're using NU as an example).
NU takes ~2 kids from this school every single year. So if you want to be one of these 2 kids your odds of getting one of the spots SO MUCH better if you apply ED (you'll get the spot outright or after being deferred to RD). Our ED rate at NU for a kid with stats in range is >75% and RD rate is pretty much zero.

[Anonymous]

Doesn't matter at all.
In the end, whether you got in or not is all that matters.

[Anonymous]

Lots of people who have kids who were rejected assume they would have gotten in ED.

I would never enough to even guess. Dont know essay, LORs etc. But statistically, they can't all be right. But whatever.

Athletes, legacy, and faculty kids are the bulk of ED at many schools.