Has anyone regretted their ED choice?

[Anonymous]

One of DC’s friends is regretting it because she was steered by school counselor to change her ED school. It turned out now kids with lower stats are ED her original choice. Should stick to your guns.

[Anonymous]

People can have buyers remorse, sure, but what I've noticed is a lot of kids becoming more realistic and targeting reasonable ED schools. In September there was so much talk about EDing to top schools, but many of these kids have decided to go for (still selective) but better fit schools in which that they have a good chance.

Actually one kid I know is dead set on ED 1 and 2 schools that they have absolutely no chance at. That's hard to watch but kids at our public don't get great guidance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One of DC’s friends is regretting it because she was steered by school counselor to change her ED school. It turned out now kids with lower stats are ED her original choice. Should stick to your guns.

This is really tough because while she can change her ED application to regular decision (have to contact the admissions office of the college to do so) she can't apply ED to another choice. As to counselor steering this really bugs me, but the counselor may be aware of things, like legacy status, that might advantage others from the same high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One of DC’s friends is regretting it because she was steered by school counselor to change her ED school. It turned out now kids with lower stats are ED her original choice. Should stick to your guns.

The FOMO is strong with this one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One of DC’s friends is regretting it because she was steered by school counselor to change her ED school. It turned out now kids with lower stats are ED her original choice. Should stick to your guns.

This is really where ED goes off the rails. In its purist sense ED is a good thing - kids who truly know they want to attend a specific school should be able to benefit a bit from that commitment. But when strategy drives ED decisions and a counselor steers and ED application what are we really doing?

[Anonymous]

My kid has two t20 ED finalists she equally likes. Both schools are excellent in her desired major, and her SAT score is between the 25th and 50th percentile of both. What makes it not a coin toss situation is that School 1 returns to test required this year where her SAT would look better, while School 2 remains TO. She decides however to ED to School 2. Not sure if she'd second guess herself later.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One of DC’s friends is regretting it because she was steered by school counselor to change her ED school. It turned out now kids with lower stats are ED her original choice. Should stick to your guns.

This is really where ED goes off the rails. In its purist sense ED is a good thing - kids who truly know they want to attend a specific school should be able to benefit a bit from that commitment. But when strategy drives ED decisions and a counselor steers and ED application what are we really doing?

Agree! Some kids have a very real first choice and that first choice happens to be at least somewhat reasonable for them. Our state flagship is currently my DS's top choice and he should get in ED (and likely RD, too, if he continues on current trajectory). Great for kids like him. But for so many kids it is going to result in regret, wondering if they could/should have shot higher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One of DC’s friends is regretting it because she was steered by school counselor to change her ED school. It turned out now kids with lower stats are ED her original choice. Should stick to your guns.

Come back and post in December. My guess is that a fair number of these "lower stat" kids will be rejected ED because they aimed too high, while your DC's friend will be happy to get in early and be able to enjoy the rest of winter break and the rest of senior year.

One of my kids probably undershot their ED as well, but she is very practical and was happy to go to her true 2nd choice because the first choice (an SCEA school) was going to be near-impossible from my kid's school with no hooks.

[Anonymous]

My kid was strongly encouraged to ED to a state school b/c it does give an advantage to someone in their academic bracket. They really wanted to try for another school that didn't have ED and refused. I think some will go ahead and take the ED advice b/c then they have a better chance at one that and OK chance at 2.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One of DC’s friends is regretting it because she was steered by school counselor to change her ED school. It turned out now kids with lower stats are ED her original choice. Should stick to your guns.

But you will never know if she’d have gotten in. Lower stats + accepted doesn’t mean a kid with higher stats would have been accepted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One of DC’s friends is regretting it because she was steered by school counselor to change her ED school. It turned out now kids with lower stats are ED her original choice. Should stick to your guns.

This is really where ED goes off the rails. In its purist sense ED is a good thing - kids who truly know they want to attend a specific school should be able to benefit a bit from that commitment. But when strategy drives ED decisions and a counselor steers and ED application what are we really doing?

Agree and this becomes real in the Spring when students who felt pressured into EDI/EDII start to see where their peers get accepted and also see them have the experience of making a choice between several schools.

[Anonymous]

No. DC had a clear first choice and was accepted. Delighted, no regrets.

[Anonymous]

It happens every year. Some kids are so happy to have their decision made for them early on and not think about it again. Others get buyer's remorse because they wonder what if. There's o right or wrong way to do unless your kid wasn't 100% into the school when they hit submit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One of DC’s friends is regretting it because she was steered by school counselor to change her ED school. It turned out now kids with lower stats are ED her original choice. Should stick to your guns.

Come back and post in December. My guess is that a fair number of these "lower stat" kids will be rejected ED because they aimed too high, while your DC's friend will be happy to get in early and be able to enjoy the rest of winter break and the rest of senior year.

One of my kids probably undershot their ED as well, but she is very practical and was happy to go to her true 2nd choice because the first choice (an SCEA school) was going to be near-impossible from my kid's school with no hooks.

Exactly, I was going to say the same.

I see TO kids with weak rigor and boring ECs applying to Top 20 school. But they have a 4.0 so they think they’re in range. Okay…

[Anonymous]

No regrets. DC did ED to Cornell. Was deferred. Ended up getting in regular decision.

DC ended up at a school and program perfect for him.

It all works out for the best in the end, but the deferral stung a bit at the time.