what to ED1/ED2/RD with this list

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:fair warning, you may know where 10% of your peers are applying. Kids either don't say, won't say, don't give you a complete picture or change their mind at the last minute.

Don't count on any of this. And don't be the kid or mom who goes around asking "does anyone know if Bobby is applying to Williams early? and where did Bobby's parents go to college? do you think he's first gen by chance?"

You can get a good sense at our private. It’s totally high school dependent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Rice
UChicago

If he likes ResColleges this is the way to go.

[Anonymous]

ND has res colleges too and likely would be an admit for RD. At least from our nyc private. Williams also loves our private during RD..

I also like Bowdoin's housing set up (reminds me of Chicago). Rice and ND are more similar - 4 years in one res college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are some really different schools on the list. Is urban U of Chicago really as appealing as Bowdoin? ED can be a boost at any of them. Nobody can tell him which to ED, sounds like he needs to do a lot more research and reflection on which would actually be his first choice.

He's a city kid who is totally familiar with life in a city neighborhood and all that comes with that. UChicago has a residential system that appealed, curriculum that he wants with professors who excite him on a drop dead gorgeous campus. Bowdoin also had the curriculum, campus, residential and food (!) that excited him and Brunswick was plenty big with easy access to Portland (we saw a concert one night and had no issue getting there and back) and a train station steps from campus.

He also has a couple older siblings and knows the limit of research and reflection. You can do all the research all the world and you can and get a lousy roommate, a department gets cut, or you get sick and all of a sudden the health services you never even visited is a key factor in your health and happiness. He's not about a first choice. As he said, "I'm not looking for a soulmate, I'm looking for a college. I can be happy at a lot of places"

Applying ED IS about making a first choice before you have a lot of choices, whether you like it or not. If he seriously likes ALL of these colleges equally at this point (although really if that's the case, he probably doesn't know enough about them) I would have him do a decision bracket exercise. Randomly pair up all the schools. He must evaluate each pair as if he got into both and must choose one. That cuts the set in half. Pair them up again and do the same thing. etc. until you are down to the final pair. Which of those would you ED and which ED2? Along the way, I would guess there will be pairs where he thinks I can't decide because I don't know enough about how each one meets what I want. Then you know what to research.

This simply isn't a decision someone else can make for him based on ED strategy. Maybe when you get down to 3 schools it comes into it.

[Anonymous]

I feel like the SLACs really favor athletes during ED. They're filling same number of athletic spots but that's a far higher % of the class.

ED's best chance would be UChicago in the 1 or 2 spot. They also don't care how many other kids from your HS are also applying.

I think I'd pick Vandy and then UChicago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel like the SLACs really favor athletes during ED. They're filling same number of athletic spots but that's a far higher % of the class.

ED's best chance would be UChicago in the 1 or 2 spot. They also don't care how many other kids from your HS are also applying.

I think I'd pick Vandy and then UChicago.

Middle bury takes something like 90 percent of its class ED, and I believe Bowdoin is close. What you are saying about athletes really only true for Williams and Amherst.

[Anonymous]

The top humanities boys at our school did really well this year. I think there are so few of them now, colleges really like them. I wonder if he should just pick the one he loves the most and go for it for ed1 and ed2 if needed. The rest he can apply RD. I think he will get into at least one RD if not more. And hopefully he loves his safety too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are some really different schools on the list. Is urban U of Chicago really as appealing as Bowdoin? ED can be a boost at any of them. Nobody can tell him which to ED, sounds like he needs to do a lot more research and reflection on which would actually be his first choice.

He's a city kid who is totally familiar with life in a city neighborhood and all that comes with that. UChicago has a residential system that appealed, curriculum that he wants with professors who excite him on a drop dead gorgeous campus. Bowdoin also had the curriculum, campus, residential and food (!) that excited him and Brunswick was plenty big with easy access to Portland (we saw a concert one night and had no issue getting there and back) and a train station steps from campus.

He also has a couple older siblings and knows the limit of research and reflection. You can do all the research all the world and you can and get a lousy roommate, a department gets cut, or you get sick and all of a sudden the health services you never even visited is a key factor in your health and happiness. He's not about a first choice. As he said, "I'm not looking for a soulmate, I'm looking for a college. I can be happy at a lot of places"

Applying ED IS about making a first choice before you have a lot of choices, whether you like it or not. If he seriously likes ALL of these colleges equally at this point (although really if that's the case, he probably doesn't know enough about them) I would have him do a decision bracket exercise. Randomly pair up all the schools. He must evaluate each pair as if he got into both and must choose one. That cuts the set in half. Pair them up again and do the same thing. etc. until you are down to the final pair. Which of those would you ED and which ED2? Along the way, I would guess there will be pairs where he thinks I can't decide because I don't know enough about how each one meets what I want. Then you know what to research.

This simply isn't a decision someone else can make for him based on ED strategy. Maybe when you get down to 3 schools it comes into it.

This is your opinion, whether you like it or not. Any professional college advisor post-covid offers very different advice. There are thousands of colleges. Your list should be 100% full of colleges you'd be happy to attend. Then pick a ED that offers you the best chance of acceptance. ED is a tool colleges use for their own benefit. There's no shame in using it for the small benefit it gives applicants.

There are plenty of people who apply ED to UChicago because it's a smart thing to do. Rather than dream of Yale with that 3.8 and get shut out of everything.

It's okay if this is not the approach you're taking with your kid! But there's no need to get all triggered by kids who take another approach. Don't worry, this won't affect you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel like the SLACs really favor athletes during ED. They're filling same number of athletic spots but that's a far higher % of the class.

ED's best chance would be UChicago in the 1 or 2 spot. They also don't care how many other kids from your HS are also applying.

I think I'd pick Vandy and then UChicago.

Middle bury takes something like 90 percent of its class ED, and I believe Bowdoin is close. What you are saying about athletes really only true for Williams and Amherst.

Bowdoin's ED vs RD is significant. And that's because of athletes. Applying ED to Bowdoin as a non-athlete wont' give you much of a boost.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:college advisors: "forget the dream school trap"

DCUM: "make the kid focus on a dream college"

This is so glib. Saying that you should not apply ED unless a school is your first choice is not the same as saying you should make your kid have a dream school.

[Anonymous]

What’s the diff btw first choice and dream school?

[Anonymous]

Zero ED advantage at Williams. Great school though.

[Anonymous]

I sat in last year at an information session for Williams. AO said there is no boost through ED and many of their slots are filled by athletic commits. I know Chicago through ED1 and ED2 offers a real boost.

[Anonymous]

Agree with the ED for athletes at Bowdoin also.

I'd do UChicago for ED.

[Anonymous]

“Bowdoin
Middlebury
Williams
Northwestern”

I think these would be a waste of an ED. I’d look at the others, particularly ND and Davidson.