Rising senior parents - don't do ED

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wait, why are people here saying that ED is not a boost at places like Brown, Penn, Columbia and Dartmouth? The numbers are pretty clear that the admissions rates at all of these schools (including Duke, Hopkins, Chicago, Northwestern) are much higher in the ED round than RD because they all care about yield. In fact, we know of several people who were deferred at these schools and ultimately got in during the RD round, and I'm sure that's because they ED'd and the
schools care about yield.

It’s because the ED pool is stronger for Ivies, it includes athletes, legacies, hooks, and then stronger applicants than RD overall. They’ve said it clearly, that’s why rate is higher, and if they wouldn’t take you in regular than you’re not getting in ED. If they aren’t sure you’ll measure up they defer.

But this is exactly why some kids get waitlisted in RD to a school that they would have been admitted to had they ED'd. Some people here think that yield management is not a thing, but tell that to my kid, who got into Georgetown, but was waitlisted at NYU, BC, BU and American, or my nephew, who got into Brown and was waitlisted at Vanderbilt, Northwestern and NYU.

For some of those schools, demonstrated interest is incredibly important. BU and AU, for example. Without demonstrated interest, they presume high stats kids won't come so waitlist them in order to better control yield.

Important at Northwestern too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem is not ED per se.

The problem is he low-balled himself in ED. He shoulda ED at the Columbia/Penn/Brown level.

The problem is he ED’ed to a school that wasn’t actually his top choice.

OP. Yes, he/we played the game. His first 3 choices were: Yale, Penn, Chicago. We felt that the odds of Yale were close to zero. Way too many amazing kids at his school. His ECs were below the level of the kids who ultimately got a Yale spot; national recognition was key. His second choice was Penn. Again, odds seemed very low. We discussed - is it worth giving up a 5% - 10% shot at Penn ED or RD for Chicago, which his GC thought was a likely match? And he was very clear that the answer was yes, he was ok with giving up the shot at Penn.

To be clear, DC hasn't expressed regret. But I feel like, if some of the potential RD options had been on the table - Cornell, Michigan, Georgetown were all somewhat but not much lower on his list - and he'd gone to visit, he might have gone to one of those instead. Closer to home and much less stressful.

What major?

Yale Penn UChicago are very different schools. I don’t quite get it why they can all be his first choice.

Possibly economics major but not really decided. Why do you say they are so different? All midsized, Penn is also urban (and not in a dangerous area).

“Penn is also urban (and not in a dangerous area).” If your son is going to attend UChicago (as I did and grew up in a working class town 7 miles west of Penn), the adjoining neighborhoods of Hyde Park Kenwood north and east of campus are NOT “in a dangerous area”. If fact, the majority of UChicago faculty live and raise their families in HPK which is NOT true of Penn. Like UChicago, Penn has its own “dangerous areas” not far from campus.

https://www.reddit.com/r/UPenn/comments/11rxh...afety_around_campus/

Wheh I attended UChicago decades ago, Woodlawn neighborhood south of campus was indeed dangerous. But after attending a UChicago reunion weeks ago, I was amazed at how Woodlawn has vastly improved for the better due to “gentrifying”. The major supermarket chain in Chicago, Jewel Osco, opened a 110,000 square foot grocery store
just off campus in Woodlawn that was packed when I visited.
On Realtor.com there are recently built single residences in Woodlawn with asking prices of $800k to over $1 million. Check for yourself.

Yes, street smarts are needed at any elite urban university like Penn, UChicago and JHU, but at UChicago all the neighborhoods adjoining campus are getting better for livability.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem is not ED per se.

The problem is he low-balled himself in ED. He shoulda ED at the Columbia/Penn/Brown level.

The problem is he ED’ed to a school that wasn’t actually his top choice.

OP. Yes, he/we played the game. His first 3 choices were: Yale, Penn, Chicago. We felt that the odds of Yale were close to zero. Way too many amazing kids at his school. His ECs were below the level of the kids who ultimately got a Yale spot; national recognition was key. His second choice was Penn. Again, odds seemed very low. We discussed - is it worth giving up a 5% - 10% shot at Penn ED or RD for Chicago, which his GC thought was a likely match? And he was very clear that the answer was yes, he was ok with giving up the shot at Penn.

To be clear, DC hasn't expressed regret. But I feel like, if some of the potential RD options had been on the table - Cornell, Michigan, Georgetown were all somewhat but not much lower on his list - and he'd gone to visit, he might have gone to one of those instead. Closer to home and much less stressful.

What major?

Yale Penn UChicago are very different schools. I don’t quite get it why they can all be his first choice.

Possibly economics major but not really decided. Why do you say they are so different? All midsized, Penn is also urban (and not in a dangerous area).

“Penn is also urban (and not in a dangerous area).” If your son is going to attend UChicago (as I did and grew up in a working class town 7 miles west of Penn), the adjoining neighborhoods of Hyde Park Kenwood north and east of campus are NOT “in a dangerous area”. If fact, the majority of UChicago faculty live and raise their families in HPK which is NOT true of faculty at Penn living in adjoining neighborhoods in large numbers. Like UChicago, Penn has its own “dangerous areas” not far from campus.

https://www.reddit.com/r/UPenn/comments/11rxh...afety_around_campus/

Wheh I attended UChicago decades ago, Woodlawn neighborhood south of campus was indeed dangerous. But after attending a UChicago reunion weeks ago, I was amazed at how Woodlawn has vastly improved for the better due to “gentrifying”. The major supermarket chain in Chicago, Jewel Osco, opened a 110,000 square foot grocery store
just off campus in Woodlawn that was packed when I visited.
On Realtor.com there are recently built single residences in Woodlawn with asking prices of $800k to over $1 million. Check for yourself.

Yes, street smarts are needed at any elite urban university like Penn, UChicago and JHU, but at UChicago all the neighborhoods adjoining campus are getting better for livability.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread took a twist...everyone assumed that OP is lamenting that DS low-balled with Chicago, but actually the complaint is that he passed up the chance to end up at a (still good but) less stressful school!

Is Chicago still stressful today? I didn't get that vibe from kids who went there. Things have changed a bit?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC was/is a high achiever with strong (not mind-blowing ECs). Feeder magnet public. He/we got psyched out by all the chatter about kids getting screwed, and became fixed on doing ED at Chicago. Fast-forward, all his friends with similar profiles got into excellent schools- not everyone got into an Ivy, but I can only think of one kid who got "screwed" (and maybe he'll get off a waitlist in the next 6 weeks, who knows). DC should have held out instead of compromising with ED! Wish I'd tried harder to talk him out of it. Chicago is obviously not a terrible school, but the quarter system sucks, it's in a horrible neighborhood, and it's stressful. I feel certain he would have had East Coast options if he'd waited. So, rising senior parent, learn the lesson from us.

Very little sympathy for you and your DS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC was/is a high achiever with strong (not mind-blowing ECs). Feeder magnet public. He/we got psyched out by all the chatter about kids getting screwed, and became fixed on doing ED at Chicago. Fast-forward, all his friends with similar profiles got into excellent schools- not everyone got into an Ivy, but I can only think of one kid who got "screwed" (and maybe he'll get off a waitlist in the next 6 weeks, who knows). DC should have held out instead of compromising with ED! Wish I'd tried harder to talk him out of it. Chicago is obviously not a terrible school, but the quarter system sucks, it's in a horrible neighborhood, and it's stressful. I feel certain he would have had East Coast options if he'd waited. So, rising senior parent, learn the lesson from us.

OP,
Assuming you have a car when you move in your son to UChicago, this suggestion, if you take it, may alleviate at least some of your anxieties about the “horrible neighborhood”. On campus (55th St to 60th St.) drive your car up Woodlawn Ave. to 49th St. and park on the street. The area is South Kenwood a few blocks from where the Obamas lived. You will see pristine mansions from the early decades of the 20th century with manicured lawns. Walk around the adjoining streets on the sidewalk and see the well-kept residences some of them occupied by UChicago faculty and staff. Then maybe exhale a bit about the “horrible neighborhood” or drop by Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods Market, get a pastry and chill. Your son will be fine.

[Anonymous]

Both of my high performing but unhooked kids go to top 20 schools. Both applied and were accepted ED. Fortunately, both schools are excellent for them and were their first choices. So there were never regrets, though I think my engineering kid would have liked to have taken a shot at MIT. But I don't think he's living with any second thoughts. The RD round among the top 20 schools is so ridiculous that there is a high chance of being frozen out all together for unhooked students who don't take advantage of the ED round when possible and there's a solid first choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC was/is a high achiever with strong (not mind-blowing ECs). Feeder magnet public. He/we got psyched out by all the chatter about kids getting screwed, and became fixed on doing ED at Chicago. Fast-forward, all his friends with similar profiles got into excellent schools- not everyone got into an Ivy, but I can only think of one kid who got "screwed" (and maybe he'll get off a waitlist in the next 6 weeks, who knows). DC should have held out instead of compromising with ED! Wish I'd tried harder to talk him out of it. Chicago is obviously not a terrible school, but the quarter system sucks, it's in a horrible neighborhood, and it's stressful. I feel certain he would have had East Coast options if he'd waited. So, rising senior parent, learn the lesson from us.

Very little sympathy for you and your DS.

+1000. The kid got into U Chicago. STFU OP.

[Anonymous]

I wish all schools had ED.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Erm, Hyde Park is not a “crappy area”. Have you even been to Chicago?

This all day. People who $hit on UChicago location go on to talk about UPenn or Yale without batting an eye. Have you been to UPenn campus or Philadelphia? Or New Haven? Try getting on SEPTA. I’d take Hyde Park any day over Philadelphia. I swear the majority of these asinine comments are from people who never set a foot in Hyde Park.

[Anonymous]

Niece ED'd at Dartmouth. Got in. Loves it.

It's the only college she had to apply to.

If the child knows exactly what they want, don't discourage ED.

[Anonymous]

People are gaslighiting.

UChicago has its own private police force for a reason.

Students literally get mugged at gunpoint there. Your kid messed up. If he could have gotten into any of the Ivies he would be better off.

Safety wise that is.

[Anonymous]

He should make the best of it and get excellent grades and then possibly transfer out to somewhere else, surely?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People are gaslighiting.

UChicago has its own private police force for a reason.

Students literally get mugged at gunpoint there. Your kid messed up. If he could have gotten into any of the Ivies he would be better off.

Safety wise that is.

OP - totally agree with you. And I share the blame, I should have done more research on crime in Hyde Park and said NO to the ED choice. Another reason ED is problematic is that you don't have as much time for due diligence.

As for Ivies, I think he would have gotten into Cornell (based on results from peer group) but he was adamant that he didn't want to be in Ithaca. It's a heck of a lot safer, though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People are gaslighiting.

UChicago has its own private police force for a reason.

Students literally get mugged at gunpoint there. Your kid messed up. If he could have gotten into any of the Ivies he would be better off.

Safety wise that is.

OP - totally agree with you. And I share the blame, I should have done more research on crime in Hyde Park and said NO to the ED choice. Another reason ED is problematic is that you don't have as much time for due diligence.

As for Ivies, I think he would have gotten into Cornell (based on results from peer group) but he was adamant that he didn't want to be in Ithaca. It's a heck of a lot safer, though.

I agree with you on safety. I do not agree that Cornell is a “higher school.” They are equal at best, and I would probably say Chicago is “higher.”