Parents of Juniors: learn from us and ED if able

[Anonymous]

So.. what if your kid was hoping for a reach school that did not have ED, and also had a match school that offered ED2?

Could you apply very early for the reach, and hope to get an answer before sending out an ED2 application for the match?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not true, OP.

Anecdotally, including in our household, ED was to a low reach and deferred.

In April, got in to ED as well as a higher ranked reach.

Yes, play ED strategically, but don't feel like if the applicant doesn't get in, that the subsequent options will be lower tier.

That’s right. There are no guarantees. This post is directed to people who don’t want to ED.

[Anonymous]

Don't some schools offer aid even in ED?

I am looking at Villanova and they list deadlines for financial aid, even with ED. Or am I misunderstanding something?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't some schools offer aid even in ED?

I am looking at Villanova and they list deadlines for financial aid, even with ED. Or am I misunderstanding something?

even if they do, you won’t have any basis of comparison to other schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So.. what if your kid was hoping for a reach school that did not have ED, and also had a match school that offered ED2?

Could you apply very early for the reach, and hope to get an answer before sending out an ED2 application for the match?

.

I’m not aware of any reach school that offers regular decisions in the early period. For most of them, applications are not even due by then.

This is what our college admissions process has come to. A high-stakes game theory match where one side of the game holds all the trump cards.

[Anonymous]

what about EA?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m so conflicted. I know this is the best path for admission but it doesn’t allow DC to consider merit aid from other schools.

It's a real consideration. I was relieved when my DC was not accepted to their ED school. They are attending a slightly lower-ranked school that they are excited about for half the cost (due to merit aid). They wouldn't have gotten any aid at the ED school. We had the money to pay full freight, but DC now will have $150,000 left for graduate school, or a downpayment on a condo....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So.. what if your kid was hoping for a reach school that did not have ED, and also had a match school that offered ED2?

Could you apply very early for the reach, and hope to get an answer before sending out an ED2 application for the match?

.

I’m not aware of any reach school that offers regular decisions in the early period. For most of them, applications are not even due by then.

This is what our college admissions process has come to. A high-stakes game theory match where one side of the game holds all the trump cards.

PP you replied to. Yes, I realized as I was typing that this would only work if the student applied EA for the reach, and got their answer in time to send their ED2 application for the match!

What a ridiculous dance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:what about EA?

Doesn’t help as an admissions strategy. You just find out results earlier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't some schools offer aid even in ED?

I am looking at Villanova and they list deadlines for financial aid, even with ED. Or am I misunderstanding something?

even if they do, you won’t have any basis of comparison to other schools

Some do, but the very most competitive schools generally do not offer merit aid at all.

It is true that you lose the chance to compare merit aid offers. However, I don't know if it was coincidence, but the merit aid offers my DC got were all remarkably similar. I think the schools all use the same algorithm to calculate their offers. YMMV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you are able financially to ED, please don’t be like us and think “naaaah I’m just gonna see where all DC gets in and make a decision then.” Pick a reasonable target (maybe a low reach) where your kid would be happy and ED there. Because what’s left over in April when you’ll have all your options is … the next tier down.

People told us don’t do it, don’t pass on the chance to ED. We thought naaaahhh that doesn’t apply to DS. He has high stats and doesn’t have a clear favorite. DS does have choices, but not ones as good as he could have had if he had picked in November and EDd. There just aren’t many spots left for RD after the top colleges have filled up with ED.

Yeah, that’s just what we need. More people applying ED to get an edge that doesn’t exist and then wanting to back out when they get cold feet.

[Anonymous]

Yes, this is good advice. DC applied ED to the low reach and got in, and is happy. It's just me who secretly wonders if he'd have been accepted at the reach-reach.

[Anonymous]

ED gives full pay kids a significant advantage.

[Anonymous]

Agree that one should ED if possible, EA where that’s an option, and find a rolling safety. Get those apps in early. And run the net price calculator. Many reaches don’t offer much merit, so don’t wait for RD expecting merit, esp if school is a reach.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So you can only ED at one school?
What if you ED at a reach and get waitlisted there?

Or get Deferred to RD? At a school that only defers 1-2% typically (not the Ivy's which defer a significant portion).
At that point you have a decision. My kid decided not to ED2 because he wanted to see if ED would become an acceptance in RD. It did not. But thankfully my kid had 3 safeties, 2 of which he would have been thrilled to attend, and 4 targets that were acceptances. But my kid thought long and hard about ED2 to the school he will be attending in the fall, but didn't because of the slight potential for the original ED.