What is wrong with applying to more schools after getting in HYP REA?
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Anonymous
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DD received admission to a HYP REA, and is still thinking about sending off applications to the rest of HYPSM, a few more Ivies, and a few T20s (Duke, Caltech, namely). There was a thread here a few days ago complaining about kids who had been accepted early still trying their shot in RD.
With about a week to go for RD, I had a candid discussion with her about whether or not she wants to apply to these schools, since some of her friends are angry with her for continuing to apply. I personally see nothing wrong with it. You can't "steal" something that nobody has any ownership of, and nobody is entitled to an outcome that hasn’t been decided yet. Admissions aren’t a zero-sum moral exercise; they’re a process with many independent decisions, yield modeling, waitlists, and thousands of variables no applicant controls. Applying RD doesn’t take a seat away from someone else. It simply preserves her right to make an informed choice later, after seeing financial aid, program fit, and personal priorities side by side. Asking an eighteen-year-old to pre-emptively limit her options to soothe others’ anxiety feels misplaced; kindness matters, but so does allowing students to advocate for themselves. If she ultimately chooses the early school, the system reallocates offers accordingly. Until then, she’s doing what the process allows, and what any prudent applicant would do. She will only apply to schools that she would have interest in attending over her REA acceptance. There's also the added benefit of being able to negotiate aid. Her older sibling also attended a HYPSM and we greatly benefited financially from being able to compare aid offers. We are of course over the moon for her, but don't want her to be alienated by her friends. Any thoughts? |
Anonymous
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Why? Bragging rights? Didn’t she pick the best suited school? Can you not afford it? HYP will get you about as much as you could get at a top school - they can afford it.
Let her be done. The best feeling in the world for me was when I found out I was in on Dec. 15th of my senior year. Take the W and enjoy senior year. |
Anonymous
| I think it's fine to apply to any school she would truly consider over the one she was already admitted to. |
Anonymous
This. Be honest. Why throw Caltech in there? |
Anonymous
| Unless you’re looking for some type of financial aid/full ride scholarship from another school because of not being able to afford your HYP education, then it’s pretty selfish to apply to more, it’s hurting other kids chances. |
Anonymous
No it isn't. Students from the same school do not compete against each other for X number of spots. That's why admit numbers vary from year to year. |
Anonymous
| REA and SCEA are not binding. As noted in the other thread, some schools definite these terms slightly differently and place different kinds of restrictions on them in terms of whether or where else a student may apply ED or EA, but there are no restrictions against applying RD anywhere, comparing offers, and waiting until May to make a final decision. It’s only ED that’s binding. |
Anonymous
| ^define, not definite |
Anonymous
| Why is she talking about this with her friends? |
Anonymous
I would like to make clear that this is her personal choice. We're still waiting on the aid offer, and the school told us that it may be a bit before they get it to us since she applied late. She's very financially conscious, and in the likely event the offer is released after RD is due, she's said that she'd like to keep her options open. |
Anonymous
They're all very close. Grew up together. Reviewed each others' essays and have been supporting each other through the entire college application process. |
Anonymous
| It's fine if she would genuinely consider picking the other school she is applying to over the one offer she has. But you're only young onec, she shouldn't waste her own time applying to schools she likely won't attend over the offer she has in hand. |
Anonymous
Welp tell her to get ready to lose a few long-term friends then. This won't end well since this season is so competitive and emotionally fraught for our teens. Drama and friend break-ups incoming. |
Anonymous
Yet another way in which the college application process is antisocial and toxic. |
Anonymous
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i was HYP EA and kept applying because we needed the best financial aid we could get. perhaps unsurprisingly the best aide was from HYP.
i will admit that i liked the feeling when my kids were impressed that I also go into MIT and Duke, but thats mostly because i’m an Al Bundy so it goes against type. |