Is ED almost mandatory these days to get into a competitive school?

[Anonymous]

There is not "generally speaking" on this topic. It depends on schools.

[Anonymous]

^*no

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I recently heard the best explanation from an admissions officer as to why admission rates are higher for Early Decision, even though admission criteria is the same as for Regular Decision. He said that students that apply ED have really researched different schools and have really identified the best fit for themselves. It comes across in their essays and short answers. They put more effort into the application and show that they understand what the school is all about and how they fit the school. In the Regular Decision rounds, students put less effort in to distinguishing the different schools. They reuse the same essays (some forget to change the school names! ) and generally don't show that they really get the school they are applying to.

If your student isn't passionate about one of the three schools above the others, randomly applying to one ED isn't going to improve their chances.

No, some of this is kind of BS. Its not really about more effort, its about greater suitability and smarter applicants.

[Anonymous]

A girl in my DDs class a few years ago got totally screwed by middlebury. She got in ED, they made a promise to come up with enough FA so she could attend. When her FA offer finally came it was way less than she needed but at that point it was too late to apply anywhere else. She had to scramble to apply for some scholarships and take out some loans.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A girl in my DDs class a few years ago got totally screwed by middlebury. She got in ED, they made a promise to come up with enough FA so she could attend. When her FA offer finally came it was way less than she needed but at that point it was too late to apply anywhere else. She had to scramble to apply for some scholarships and take out some loans.

How did they "promise"?

Was the result from the net price calculator that different from the actual result? From a well-endowed school like Midd, I highly doubt it, and call BS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I recently heard the best explanation from an admissions officer as to why admission rates are higher for Early Decision, even though admission criteria is the same as for Regular Decision. He said that students that apply ED have really researched different schools and have really identified the best fit for themselves. It comes across in their essays and short answers. They put more effort into the application and show that they understand what the school is all about and how they fit the school. In the Regular Decision rounds, students put less effort in to distinguishing the different schools. They reuse the same essays (some forget to change the school names! ) and generally don't show that they really get the school they are applying to.

If your student isn't passionate about one of the three schools above the others, randomly applying to one ED isn't going to improve their chances.

No, some of this is kind of BS. Its not really about more effort, its about greater suitability and smarter applicants.

I think this does make sense to explain part of the higher rate. If your son doesn't want to choose between the three for ED, it will probably help his chances if he treats each of the three as seriously as if it was ED, particularly the "why this school?" question, to show that he's thought hard about the school and why it's suitable for him and he's suitable for it (what he will contribute to the community).

You could ask him to imagine that he's gotten into all three and which would he choose. But if his gut says he'd need to go to admitted students' day and get a better feel before he could decide, then ED may not be right for him. Or if he feels that he would be disappointed to commit to one ED and therefore not know if he could have chosen the other two (not for curiosity/ego's sake, but because he's not sure which would be the best fit).

On the other hand, if he thinks he would be very happy / well suited at any one of the three and wouldn't be disappointed to commit to one early without finding out if the other two would be choices for him, then one option would be to look at each of the three schools' acceptance rates in ED v. RD, and apply ED to the one where it would make the biggest difference (keeping in mind that the % isn't a pure number because of the reasons the admissions officer in the quote above stated).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've heard that you need to be careful about applying ED if financial aid is very important to you. You commit to the school, and can't easily get out of that commitment if the financial aid package isn't what you need. Technically, the school offers you the financial aid package they think your income supports, but the school's opinion about that may be very different from your own.

If you run the Net Price Calculator on the school's website before you apply ED then you should know with a good degree of accuracy what the school's financial aid offer will look like (assuming it is a "meets full demonstrated need" school). For such schools there is almost never a unwelcome surprise in the financial aid offered.

[Anonymous]

Are many of these ED acceptances athletes?

[Anonymous]

Yes, probably the biggest single chunk.

[Anonymous]

No one has to apply ED. But, you should look for acceptance rates based on ED vs. RD. Some schools offer no advantage but others offer significant advantages. We applied to a top SLAC ED and are so happy to have gotten in to it. We just figured that you have to make your decision at some time, so why not get the added chance to be accepted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A girl in my DDs class a few years ago got totally screwed by middlebury. She got in ED, they made a promise to come up with enough FA so she could attend. When her FA offer finally came it was way less than she needed but at that point it was too late to apply anywhere else. She had to scramble to apply for some scholarships and take out some loans.

How did they "promise"?

Was the result from the net price calculator that different from the actual result? From a well-endowed school like Midd, I highly doubt it, and call BS.

Different poster, but what the school says you need for FA and what you and your parents say you need can be two very different things. DC's college insists we are getting the appropriate amount of FA according to those FA forms we filled out but I think it's grossly inadequate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Different poster, but what the school says you need for FA and what you and your parents say you need can be two very different things. DC's college insists we are getting the appropriate amount of FA according to those FA forms we filled out but I think it's grossly inadequate.

Is the actual FA very different from what the Net Price Calculator estimated before the student applied?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Different poster, but what the school says you need for FA and what you and your parents say you need can be two very different things. DC's college insists we are getting the appropriate amount of FA according to those FA forms we filled out but I think it's grossly inadequate.

Is the actual FA very different from what the Net Price Calculator estimated before the student applied?

^ I didn't do that since kid applied/got in RD - I guess my abovebcooment should be a different thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A girl in my DDs class a few years ago got totally screwed by middlebury. She got in ED, they made a promise to come up with enough FA so she could attend. When her FA offer finally came it was way less than she needed but at that point it was too late to apply anywhere else. She had to scramble to apply for some scholarships and take out some loans.

How did they "promise"?

Was the result from the net price calculator that different from the actual result? From a well-endowed school like Midd, I highly doubt it, and call BS.

Different poster, but what the school says you need for FA and what you and your parents say you need can be two very different things. DC's college insists we are getting the appropriate amount of FA according to those FA forms we filled out but I think it's grossly inadequate.

Did you run the NPC before you applied? What did the NPC day you would receive in Financial Aid ? There should be no "surprise" as to what you receive even though you may think you need more.

[Anonymous]

Am I the only one who keeps wondering why people are asking about erectile dysfunction and schools?