Tulane bans HS from ED for 1 year after student backs out

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We know someone that was accepted ED to a top 20 school but backed out when accepted to a service academy. Told the school his parents were getting a divorce and could no longer afford it, but given the excruciating process of getting admission to a service academy, I’m assuming the divorce was just the excuse.

No repercussions against his HS, that I’m aware of.

Oh, this will be allowed. The Service Academies do not offer ED or EA or SCEA. It's RD for everyone. Our DC went through the West Point application process - which a very long and demanding process. But also applied ED to a T20 private university. The ED admission came before the West Point decision. So DC followed the rules, and removed the West Point app, and attends the private university. However, there was an understanding that you can prioritize a Service Academy appointment over an ED acceptance. Absolutely no university is suing anyone for choosing West Point or Annapolis or the Air Force Academy. Especially if there is a change in financial circumstances - such as a divorce - which is very legitimate reason to defer from an ED commitment for any student. In the example above, nobody did anything wrong.

AI says otherwise:

Yes, a service academy will likely rescind an offer of admission if it discovers a student broke a binding Early Decision (ED) agreement with another college. This is considered a serious breach of ethics and integrity that service academies expect from candidates.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Those kids have regrets because they used ED as game theory, with a conservative approach, rather than to simply apply to their first-choice school.
My kid applied ED, which gave them an edge over the 14 other kids also applying to the same school that year who might have "settled" for it if they didn't get into an Ivy. It was my kid's true first choice, and they are having a very happy freshman year. Nothing remotely unfair about that!

This. Run the NPC. Only ED your first choice. If you make too much for need-based aid and still want to shop around/negotiate, ED is not for you. No matter how many times you pout that it's not fair.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The issue is the system pressures kids, and they are still kids, into making a "binding" decision.
Its a total bait and switch for a very large percentage of the students who apply ED.
Throughout their sophomore and junior year they are told it is only for those who have a clear first choice and would be happy to attend. Then when senior year roles around they are told instead that it is the path for some schools (Tulane is one of those who admits almost no regular decision candidates) and that its actually their best chance way to lock in one of their target schools and they should commit and give up on their reach/dream schools.
Yes, it works out for some, but others end up with regrets.

Perhaps your kid is not ready for college, especially a T25-30 university if they cannot understand what it means to have a "top choice" and be willing to commit to it. Especially with you as a parent helping them. I mean really, if you can't understand that and that choosing to ED to a not top 1 choice means you are "giving up on your dream schools" then perhaps you need to grow up before attending college.

If you choose to use ED as a tool to anywhere except your Tippy top choice, then you must live with the choice. Not that difficult for a 17 yo to understand, especially one with a resume for a T25 school (supposedly)

My kid didn't do ED and instead did great in RD and had many top schools to choose from. We supported that choice despite pressure from school counseling staff on EDI and then EDII. However DC has several friends who regret their ED and now have to live with that regret for 4, or perhaps 2, years.

This well said

Those kids have regrets because they used ED as game theory, with a conservative approach, rather than to simply apply to their first-choice school.
My kid applied ED, which gave them an edge over the 14 other kids also applying to the same school that year who might have "settled" for it if they didn't get into an Ivy. It was my kid's true first choice, and they are having a very happy freshman year. Nothing remotely unfair about that!

I agree but my objection is with counselor's pushing kids to do exactly that. It is not the kids themselves coming up with this "strategy." I think ED is a fantastic for a student who really does have a clear first choice. I just don't believe, based on convos with most kids/parents I know who have been through it is the situation for many kids who ED, even more of a problem for the EDII round.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The issue is the system pressures kids, and they are still kids, into making a "binding" decision.
Its a total bait and switch for a very large percentage of the students who apply ED.
Throughout their sophomore and junior year they are told it is only for those who have a clear first choice and would be happy to attend. Then when senior year roles around they are told instead that it is the path for some schools (Tulane is one of those who admits almost no regular decision candidates) and that its actually their best chance way to lock in one of their target schools and they should commit and give up on their reach/dream schools.
Yes, it works out for some, but others end up with regrets.

Perhaps your kid is not ready for college, especially a T25-30 university if they cannot understand what it means to have a "top choice" and be willing to commit to it. Especially with you as a parent helping them. I mean really, if you can't understand that and that choosing to ED to a not top 1 choice means you are "giving up on your dream schools" then perhaps you need to grow up before attending college.

If you choose to use ED as a tool to anywhere except your Tippy top choice, then you must live with the choice. Not that difficult for a 17 yo to understand, especially one with a resume for a T25 school (supposedly)

My kid didn't do ED and instead did great in RD and had many top schools to choose from. We supported that choice despite pressure from school counseling staff on EDI and then EDII. However DC has several friends who regret their ED and now have to live with that regret for 4, or perhaps 2, years.

This well said

Those kids have regrets because they used ED as game theory, with a conservative approach, rather than to simply apply to their first-choice school.
My kid applied ED, which gave them an edge over the 14 other kids also applying to the same school that year who might have "settled" for it if they didn't get into an Ivy. It was my kid's true first choice, and they are having a very happy freshman year. Nothing remotely unfair about that!

I agree but my objection is with counselor's pushing kids to do exactly that. It is not the kids themselves coming up with this "strategy." I think ED is a fantastic for a student who really does have a clear first choice. I just don't believe, based on convos with most kids/parents I know who have been through it is the situation for many kids who ED, even more of a problem for the EDII round.

Maybe the private school counselors aren't that good after all then. Public school counselors do not push kids into ED. At all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The issue is the system pressures kids, and they are still kids, into making a "binding" decision.
Its a total bait and switch for a very large percentage of the students who apply ED.
Throughout their sophomore and junior year they are told it is only for those who have a clear first choice and would be happy to attend. Then when senior year roles around they are told instead that it is the path for some schools (Tulane is one of those who admits almost no regular decision candidates) and that its actually their best chance way to lock in one of their target schools and they should commit and give up on their reach/dream schools.
Yes, it works out for some, but others end up with regrets.

Perhaps your kid is not ready for college, especially a T25-30 university if they cannot understand what it means to have a "top choice" and be willing to commit to it. Especially with you as a parent helping them. I mean really, if you can't understand that and that choosing to ED to a not top 1 choice means you are "giving up on your dream schools" then perhaps you need to grow up before attending college.

If you choose to use ED as a tool to anywhere except your Tippy top choice, then you must live with the choice. Not that difficult for a 17 yo to understand, especially one with a resume for a T25 school (supposedly)

My kid didn't do ED and instead did great in RD and had many top schools to choose from. We supported that choice despite pressure from school counseling staff on EDI and then EDII. However DC has several friends who regret their ED and now have to live with that regret for 4, or perhaps 2, years.

This well said

Those kids have regrets because they used ED as game theory, with a conservative approach, rather than to simply apply to their first-choice school.
My kid applied ED, which gave them an edge over the 14 other kids also applying to the same school that year who might have "settled" for it if they didn't get into an Ivy. It was my kid's true first choice, and they are having a very happy freshman year. Nothing remotely unfair about that!

I agree but my objection is with counselor's pushing kids to do exactly that. It is not the kids themselves coming up with this "strategy." I think ED is a fantastic for a student who really does have a clear first choice. I just don't believe, based on convos with most kids/parents I know who have been through it is the situation for many kids who ED, even more of a problem for the EDII round.

Maybe the private school counselors aren't that good after all then. Public school counselors do not push kids into ED. At all.

Private school counselors definitely push and have reason to- they and their schools are very much judged by where their graduates go to college. Their job is to get as many kids as possible into T50 (T20 for the top 10-20% of the class), it is not to maximize individual outcomes. It works but parents have to really understand and know their own kid as they go through the process.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The issue is the system pressures kids, and they are still kids, into making a "binding" decision.
Its a total bait and switch for a very large percentage of the students who apply ED.
Throughout their sophomore and junior year they are told it is only for those who have a clear first choice and would be happy to attend. Then when senior year roles around they are told instead that it is the path for some schools (Tulane is one of those who admits almost no regular decision candidates) and that its actually their best chance way to lock in one of their target schools and they should commit and give up on their reach/dream schools.
Yes, it works out for some, but others end up with regrets.

Perhaps your kid is not ready for college, especially a T25-30 university if they cannot understand what it means to have a "top choice" and be willing to commit to it. Especially with you as a parent helping them. I mean really, if you can't understand that and that choosing to ED to a not top 1 choice means you are "giving up on your dream schools" then perhaps you need to grow up before attending college.

If you choose to use ED as a tool to anywhere except your Tippy top choice, then you must live with the choice. Not that difficult for a 17 yo to understand, especially one with a resume for a T25 school (supposedly)

My kid didn't do ED and instead did great in RD and had many top schools to choose from. We supported that choice despite pressure from school counseling staff on EDI and then EDII. However DC has several friends who regret their ED and now have to live with that regret for 4, or perhaps 2, years.

This well said

Those kids have regrets because they used ED as game theory, with a conservative approach, rather than to simply apply to their first-choice school.
My kid applied ED, which gave them an edge over the 14 other kids also applying to the same school that year who might have "settled" for it if they didn't get into an Ivy. It was my kid's true first choice, and they are having a very happy freshman year. Nothing remotely unfair about that!

I agree but my objection is with counselor's pushing kids to do exactly that. It is not the kids themselves coming up with this "strategy." I think ED is a fantastic for a student who really does have a clear first choice. I just don't believe, based on convos with most kids/parents I know who have been through it is the situation for many kids who ED, even more of a problem for the EDII round.

Maybe the private school counselors aren't that good after all then. Public school counselors do not push kids into ED. At all.

Private school counselors definitely push and have reason to- they and their schools are very much judged by where their graduates go to college. Their job is to get as many kids as possible into T50 (T20 for the top 10-20% of the class), it is not to maximize individual outcomes. It works but parents have to really understand and know their own kid as they go through the process.

Sounds like a parenting/school related issue. Not an inherent problem with the ED model.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bunch of boot lickers in this thread. Colleges take advantage of you all the time; might as well squeeze what you can out of them.

Not everyone is deceitful and dishonest like you. Good luck in life as an unethical liar.

+1000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Abolish ED, limit everyone to 10 applications, limit SAT/ACT sittings to 2, get rid of the “commitment” system for Division III athletics, and maybe that can go some ways in making the process the way it was circa 1990- not perfect but much more transparent (even without internet!) and less stressful.

Nope!! ED is a good thing, and helps ensure schools fill their freshman class exactly (not over, not under---both are bad for the school for the next 4 years)
If you don't like ED, don't do it. Just like you don't buy a BMW if you can only afford a KIA. It's a choice

It’s amazing how much all of you get off on thinking the people objecting aren’t as wealthy as you. You are showing your true and nasty colors.

Maybe you should actually read and grasp the posts?

The NPC tells you how much aid you can expect. That number does not change, regardless of whether a kid applies ED or RD. My DC applied ED and received financial aid, the same amount he would have received had he applied RD. The school was his first choice, so he applied. Why is that difficult to understand, or unfair? We ruled out ED schools that indicated we would receive no aid. You are free to do the same.

+1 I'm not sure why there is such a poor understanding of how financial aid works. You qualify for the same need-based aid regardless of when you apply. The NPC gives you the number. ED or not, the number does not change.

I am doubtful that your financial skills are as sharp as you think since your reading skills are so poor. Who do you think you are arguing with and what are they saying? The only people talking about financials affecting decision in this rolled up responses are the people patting themselves on the back.

Not really! Those who do not like ED or think it's unfair are typically in one category: Those who want to search for merit but also don't want to miss out on the slight advantage ED might provide.

it is perfectly fine to need to/want to compare merit offers from schools. But you have to be informed about how it works and understand that most T25 schools do NOT offer merit (sure Duke has 10-15 merit scholarships, but that's it for 2K freshman, so in reality, they do not really offer merit). So if the NPC says you owe Full pay that is what you owe. It's the same for ED as well as RD/EA.
So what those people really want is to see if the "next tier" of schools offers their kid good merit, and if it's a "good enough school with good enough merit to make it worthwhile attending" otherwise they are willing to find a way to be Full pay at the T25 that their kid really wants to attend.

Except that is not how ED works. If you want to compare offers then you have EA/RD as an option.

So yes, the only reason someone thinks ED is "unfair" is because of financials. But that is a "you choice". Everyone has the choice to accept the NPC for any school and apply ED (if it's an option). It helps both students and the schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Those kids have regrets because they used ED as game theory, with a conservative approach, rather than to simply apply to their first-choice school.
My kid applied ED, which gave them an edge over the 14 other kids also applying to the same school that year who might have "settled" for it if they didn't get into an Ivy. It was my kid's true first choice, and they are having a very happy freshman year. Nothing remotely unfair about that!

This. Run the NPC. Only ED your first choice. If you make too much for need-based aid and still want to shop around/negotiate, ED is not for you. No matter how many times you pout that it's not fair.

+1000

Life isn't always "fair"

Also, those people would be much happier if they didn't waste their time and energy complaining about gaining admission to a school that has single digit acceptance rates---odds are you are not getting admission (heck, my own 1540/3.98UW/8AP kid didn't get into 4 schools with single digit acceptance rates, they are successful and very happy at their next choices just outside the T30)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Abolish ED, limit everyone to 10 applications, limit SAT/ACT sittings to 2, get rid of the “commitment” system for Division III athletics, and maybe that can go some ways in making the process the way it was circa 1990- not perfect but much more transparent (even without internet!) and less stressful.

Nope!! ED is a good thing, and helps ensure schools fill their freshman class exactly (not over, not under---both are bad for the school for the next 4 years)
If you don't like ED, don't do it. Just like you don't buy a BMW if you can only afford a KIA. It's a choice

It’s amazing how much all of you get off on thinking the people objecting aren’t as wealthy as you. You are showing your true and nasty colors.

Maybe you should actually read and grasp the posts?

The NPC tells you how much aid you can expect. That number does not change, regardless of whether a kid applies ED or RD. My DC applied ED and received financial aid, the same amount he would have received had he applied RD. The school was his first choice, so he applied. Why is that difficult to understand, or unfair? We ruled out ED schools that indicated we would receive no aid. You are free to do the same.

+1 I'm not sure why there is such a poor understanding of how financial aid works. You qualify for the same need-based aid regardless of when you apply. The NPC gives you the number. ED or not, the number does not change.

I am doubtful that your financial skills are as sharp as you think since your reading skills are so poor. Who do you think you are arguing with and what are they saying? The only people talking about financials affecting decision in this rolled up responses are the people patting themselves on the back.

Not really! Those who do not like ED or think it's unfair are typically in one category: Those who want to search for merit but also don't want to miss out on the slight advantage ED might provide.

it is perfectly fine to need to/want to compare merit offers from schools. But you have to be informed about how it works and understand that most T25 schools do NOT offer merit (sure Duke has 10-15 merit scholarships, but that's it for 2K freshman, so in reality, they do not really offer merit). So if the NPC says you owe Full pay that is what you owe. It's the same for ED as well as RD/EA.
So what those people really want is to see if the "next tier" of schools offers their kid good merit, and if it's a "good enough school with good enough merit to make it worthwhile attending" otherwise they are willing to find a way to be Full pay at the T25 that their kid really wants to attend.

Except that is not how ED works. If you want to compare offers then you have EA/RD as an option.

So yes, the only reason someone thinks ED is "unfair" is because of financials. But that is a "you choice". Everyone has the choice to accept the NPC for any school and apply ED (if it's an option). It helps both students and the schools.

I agree this is the issue and have not seen anyone directly refute it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The issue is the system pressures kids, and they are still kids, into making a "binding" decision.
Its a total bait and switch for a very large percentage of the students who apply ED.
Throughout their sophomore and junior year they are told it is only for those who have a clear first choice and would be happy to attend. Then when senior year roles around they are told instead that it is the path for some schools (Tulane is one of those who admits almost no regular decision candidates) and that its actually their best chance way to lock in one of their target schools and they should commit and give up on their reach/dream schools.
Yes, it works out for some, but others end up with regrets.

Perhaps your kid is not ready for college, especially a T25-30 university if they cannot understand what it means to have a "top choice" and be willing to commit to it. Especially with you as a parent helping them. I mean really, if you can't understand that and that choosing to ED to a not top 1 choice means you are "giving up on your dream schools" then perhaps you need to grow up before attending college.

If you choose to use ED as a tool to anywhere except your Tippy top choice, then you must live with the choice. Not that difficult for a 17 yo to understand, especially one with a resume for a T25 school (supposedly)

My kid didn't do ED and instead did great in RD and had many top schools to choose from. We supported that choice despite pressure from school counseling staff on EDI and then EDII. However DC has several friends who regret their ED and now have to live with that regret for 4, or perhaps 2, years.

This well said

Those kids have regrets because they used ED as game theory, with a conservative approach, rather than to simply apply to their first-choice school.
My kid applied ED, which gave them an edge over the 14 other kids also applying to the same school that year who might have "settled" for it if they didn't get into an Ivy. It was my kid's true first choice, and they are having a very happy freshman year. Nothing remotely unfair about that!

I agree but my objection is with counselor's pushing kids to do exactly that. It is not the kids themselves coming up with this "strategy." I think ED is a fantastic for a student who really does have a clear first choice. I just don't believe, based on convos with most kids/parents I know who have been through it is the situation for many kids who ED, even more of a problem for the EDII round.

Oh dear god! If a kid is "qualified" for a T25-30 school, they should be quite capable of understanding all of this. If not, they will have issues with many colleges they might attend.

And yes, if you don't get in ED1, then you have a choice to make about ED2. My own kid had to do that. They could have ED2 to their "actual best choice school" where they ultimately ended up (I think it was the perfect fit school for them and I saw that both times we visited---they just lit up differently after and during the visit and I could tell it was their place). They were deferred from their ED1, knew that an acceptance during RD wasn't very likely (I'm an alum so that's likely why the "deferral"), but my kid wanted to see/know if they would get in. So they didn't ED2 to their next Top choice, because they already had 3 great acceptances in hand and knew they would ultimately be fine at any of those and they also knew the ED2 choice was likely going to come thru in EA (T30-40 with acceptance rates in the 35% range). They are now at what would have been their ED2 choice. So all is good. But they would have had access to a better freshman dorm had they been accepted via ED2. Then again, they might have an entirely different group of friends had they done that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Abolish ED, limit everyone to 10 applications, limit SAT/ACT sittings to 2, get rid of the “commitment” system for Division III athletics, and maybe that can go some ways in making the process the way it was circa 1990- not perfect but much more transparent (even without internet!) and less stressful.

Nope!! ED is a good thing, and helps ensure schools fill their freshman class exactly (not over, not under---both are bad for the school for the next 4 years)
If you don't like ED, don't do it. Just like you don't buy a BMW if you can only afford a KIA. It's a choice

It’s amazing how much all of you get off on thinking the people objecting aren’t as wealthy as you. You are showing your true and nasty colors.

Maybe you should actually read and grasp the posts?

The NPC tells you how much aid you can expect. That number does not change, regardless of whether a kid applies ED or RD. My DC applied ED and received financial aid, the same amount he would have received had he applied RD. The school was his first choice, so he applied. Why is that difficult to understand, or unfair? We ruled out ED schools that indicated we would receive no aid. You are free to do the same.

+1 I'm not sure why there is such a poor understanding of how financial aid works. You qualify for the same need-based aid regardless of when you apply. The NPC gives you the number. ED or not, the number does not change.

I am doubtful that your financial skills are as sharp as you think since your reading skills are so poor. Who do you think you are arguing with and what are they saying? The only people talking about financials affecting decision in this rolled up responses are the people patting themselves on the back.

Not really! Those who do not like ED or think it's unfair are typically in one category: Those who want to search for merit but also don't want to miss out on the slight advantage ED might provide.

it is perfectly fine to need to/want to compare merit offers from schools. But you have to be informed about how it works and understand that most T25 schools do NOT offer merit (sure Duke has 10-15 merit scholarships, but that's it for 2K freshman, so in reality, they do not really offer merit). So if the NPC says you owe Full pay that is what you owe. It's the same for ED as well as RD/EA.
So what those people really want is to see if the "next tier" of schools offers their kid good merit, and if it's a "good enough school with good enough merit to make it worthwhile attending" otherwise they are willing to find a way to be Full pay at the T25 that their kid really wants to attend.

Except that is not how ED works. If you want to compare offers then you have EA/RD as an option.

So yes, the only reason someone thinks ED is "unfair" is because of financials. But that is a "you choice". Everyone has the choice to accept the NPC for any school and apply ED (if it's an option). It helps both students and the schools.

I agree this is the issue and have not seen anyone directly refute it.

+2 Financials is by far the biggest gripe, and I still keep seeing posts that ED benefits "rich" kids. That's not true, because the need-based financial aid package is the same no matter when you apply. Merit aid has nothing to do with need, and is a totally separate issue. ED is typically used for top-tier schools that don't offer merit aid anyway.

The other, more tangential issue is the claim that counselors push kids to ED to "lesser" schools that are not their first choice. That was not our experience--DC's counselor told them to aim higher for ED. For the counselors that do recommend aiming lower, that is often good strategy but you are free to ignore it. Game theory is the right descriptor. You can take a risky approach, applying to a high reach that offers the lowest odds of acceptance, or a conservative approach, applying to a lower-ranked school with higher odds of acceptance. You can understand why counselors often advocate for the latter but every kid/family can decide for themselves which approach they prefer to take. Some of it is being realistic about where you stand relative to your cohort.

I personally think kids should only ED to their first choice school, period. But if a kid wants to be more strategic, that's understandable. Just be absolutely sure there will be no regrets. A counselor can't force a kid to do anything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The counselor, student, and parents signed a binding agreement.

Not legally binding

Unethical

Correct. I would never hire anyone who told me that they did this. Granted the subject would be unlikely to come up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We know someone that was accepted ED to a top 20 school but backed out when accepted to a service academy. Told the school his parents were getting a divorce and could no longer afford it, but given the excruciating process of getting admission to a service academy, I’m assuming the divorce was just the excuse.

No repercussions against his HS, that I’m aware of.

Oh, this will be allowed. The Service Academies do not offer ED or EA or SCEA. It's RD for everyone. Our DC went through the West Point application process - which a very long and demanding process. But also applied ED to a T20 private university. The ED admission came before the West Point decision. So DC followed the rules, and removed the West Point app, and attends the private university. However, there was an understanding that you can prioritize a Service Academy appointment over an ED acceptance. Absolutely no university is suing anyone for choosing West Point or Annapolis or the Air Force Academy. Especially if there is a change in financial circumstances - such as a divorce - which is very legitimate reason to defer from an ED commitment for any student. In the example above, nobody did anything wrong.

AI says otherwise:

Yes, a service academy will likely rescind an offer of admission if it discovers a student broke a binding Early Decision (ED) agreement with another college. This is considered a serious breach of ethics and integrity that service academies expect from candidates.

Well real human beings in admissions offices have told us otherwise. Multiple, at different schools including a service academy. Also our college counselor. So, I believe them rather than AI.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Outside of the DCUM world, there are huge numbers of public school kids who are unaware that it is nearly impossible to get into ED schools like Tulane, NYU and UChicago, among others, unless they apply ED. Schools are harvesting application RD application fees from them and using these applicants to enhance their reputation for selectivity. Perhaps, many would apply anyway, but some wouldn’t and the fact that even the slight hope of admission they have is illusory rankles.

Unless your SAT is 1550+ ( ACT 35.5+) dreaming of Uchicago is futile for most

Yet UChicago encourages kids to pay for applications with a blizzard of postcards, with most having no idea that they have no chance of admission unless they apply ED. Really obnoxious.

If you are college material (and especially if at least one parent attended college), you should know how to research and gather information. It's all in the CDS for each school. Not that challenging

Again, why is UChicago aggressively marketing to kids it knows it won’t admit? To enhance its selectivity. What is ethical about that?

UChicago is not unique in wanting to increase the denominator of their acceptance rate. Every school that offers application fee waiver for no reason (e.g., Johns Hopkins), or requires no supplemental essays (e.g., Northeastern, Case Western), is making a subtle, conscious effort to increase the size of its applicant pool. I don't view these schools as being unethical -- they did not really cheat, per se, to get/stay ahead.

Of course it’s a scam.

Every school wants to pad its stats. My kid got a letter from Harvard Law School asking him to apply. He correctly thought that there was no way he would be accepted and didn’t bother. He did attend another T-14.