Why would you not apply ED?
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Anonymous
Because you know that even as a top student your odds are 50-90% against, and your second choice, (Columbia? Duke?) offers ED so you decide to compromise to have your application reviewed against a significantly smaller cohort. That is why SCEA sucks so bad, because it forces kids into this game theory. |
Anonymous
| If not applying ED to a top school, can we unequivocally assume that the chances of non need-based aid will not be any lower than if the kid had applied EA or RD? |
Anonymous
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DD was looking at highly ranked SLACs and had some not great grades sophomore year related to COVID. In winter last year, we set a goal of having her be able to make an ED decision by 10/15, to have time to get paperwork signed.
We did a lot of visits in spring, summer and fall. A lot of discussion. She talked to a number of people, like teachers, guidance counselors, alums. And really put the time in. By early Oct, she had three top schools and was able to rank them 1,2,3. All were high matches that she was significantly likelier to get into ED. So, she had an ED1, ED2 and a defer to RD. She got into ED1. My thought after watching it play out Is that your kid needs to suck it up and make a decision at some point. October, April. Eventually you have to choose. If you start seriously doing college mid junior year and you and your kid have the mindset that the deadline is October, and do all the work, research, visits you need to do to have a decision (we visited the 3 finalists twice), then you are ready to make a decision in October. The problem is most people have a May 1 decision mindset. So, of course they aren’t ready to make a thoughtful ED decision. The only downside was she still needed a college list and to start on supplemental essays while waiting to hear. |
Anonymous
I think this is all true, but also very helpful is to have a bunch of EAs that you would feel good about going to. |
Anonymous
No. Some schools will say it’s the same and some acknowledge it’s not. |
Anonymous
Well aware of that but in our case we can be full pay and, actually, I think it’s not unlikely that the ED choice will be W&M and we are in-state so it’s particularly compelling. |
Anonymous
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I'll give another perspective, which is that ED is a really valuable strategic option if your kid is prepared to think that way. My current HS senior is one of those kids who's generally pretty easy-going. He gets along with everyone and he's likely to be comfortable where ever he winds up - a real 'bloom-where-you're-planted' kind of a kid. His only prerequisite was not to be anywhere with hot weather, he's not into partying or sports, and in general we thought he'd be best served by a smaller school. So that narrowed the list somewhat and then we looked for schools where he might be most competitive and where ED odds were significantly better than RD odds. Took him to one school on a visit, he liked it, and that was the ED application. He got lucky and was accepted. He had a bunch of other EA & RD apps (since withdrawn) and we were ready to road trip to pick an ED2 had he needed it.
Maybe my kid is a total weirdo but he never fixated on a single place and we never talked about falling in love with a school. The process was still super hellish, but taking out the emotional part and just being practical about making sure that he used his ED shot(s) in the smartest way really simplified things a lot. And yes, being full pay is a huge help, although it still stung a bit to get a big merit offer from one of his EA safeties right after he got the ED admit from a school that doesn't give merit. |
Anonymous
Of course, but with ED you're locked in to attending. If DC had only applied to non-binding EA and RD, they would likely have had more options and more time to consider. I realize it's not a situation most people would find sympathetic (including me most of the time!), but it's still tough to see your kid so unhappy at what should be an exciting time. |
Anonymous
That's mostly true, yes. This was like the day before decisions were released. I did suggest DC call the school and their counselor immediately, but they dragged their feet and decisions were out the next day. Anyway, for many kids, ED is a great move for the reasons you cite. For mine, it wasn't, but I'm hopeful it will all end up ok! |
Anonymous
| ED is definitely the way to go if you know both that its your first choice and that you will have zero hesitations about paying for this particular school financially. some schools do not offer ED (they only have non-binding EA instead which also has a slightly different set of upsides to it etc.). |
Anonymous
You know, I'm not really sure. Their reasons change often and sometimes make no sense. The one thing I see most often is basically FOMO -- several friends are already in to Ivies and DC feels left out. DC's school is an excellent one, but not an Ivy and DC wonders if they could have done better. That's VERY unlikely based on stats, and I think DC did extremely well with this acceptance, but teens are often irrational! |
Anonymous
That doesn't sound like real regret, and in fact seems like she made an excellent strategic choice that she ultimately will be happy with. Congrats. |
Anonymous
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Many interesting responses here. DC applied ED to a school well within stats/ECs, etc but because admit rate <10% then a reach. DC is legacy at the school and ultimately realized that ED was most prudent choice in this admissions climate if the one of DC's key goals were to attend the most competitive school possible. DC nearly pivoted to another reach school - don't make a cold visit (new school) in mid-October as your DC may leave their first ED at the altar. But a cooler head prevailed and DC got in ED.
For the PP out there with a now disappointed ED admit kid, a relative working in college admissions said that buyer's remorse is not necessarily uncommon following ED acceptances as well as RD. I've even heard some counselors discourage attending admit days if student is ED because the majority of the students are comparing/contrasting their options and can make ED admits second guess their decision. |
Anonymous
That is really interesting about the admitted students day. I have a junior and I feel like we will be in a similar situation next yr. I think her first choice would be Cornell and her second choice Duke, but she is a double legacy at Duke, so she will probably apply there ED. She's high stats, but who the hell knows. It's a crap shoot. |
Anonymous
That's a big assumption. Most people put money front and center in making decisions about college. ED is affirmative action for the rich. |