Parents of Juniors: learn from us and ED if able

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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

Right. ED is binding. If you get waitlisted, pick an ED2 school
threats ranked a little lower.

But then what happens to your ED1 choice if they finally decide to admit you? Does the waitlist/deferred status cancel the obligation to attend the first school?

Once an ED school moves you to deferred status you are in with the RD applicants, and their is no Obligation to attend. Many elite schools defer significant portions of their ED applicants, because it's almost a guaranteed yield/enrollment if they then select them in RD, so it increases their yield.

Harvard typically defers well over 50% of their ED applicants. So they take 50% of freshman from ED and who knows, but I'd guess 25%+ from the ED deferrals. This gives a near guaranteed yield of 75%+.

[Anonymous]

You are assuming your DC would have gotten in ED. Very well might have still been rejected.

[Anonymous]

ED1 - Dream school with a reasonable chance.

ED2 - Target.

EA - everything else.

That is about the safest way to do it to maximize satisfaction.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

It may not be as drastic as the raw numbers suggest, but it is a big admission advantage. No mistake about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You are assuming your DC would have gotten in ED. Very well might have still been rejected.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:ED gives full pay kids a significant advantage.[/quote


Except when they don't get in. It really is meant for athletes and legacies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You are assuming your DC would have gotten in ED. Very well might have still been rejected.

+1

OP here. This is right. On the other hand, we didn’t even try and have to live with that regret. It looks almost certain DS would have gotten into UVA if he had done ED there. UVA is GPA focused and DS was above what looked like the GPA cut off for ED.

If we had it to over again, we would have advised DS to ED at UVA. Instead he’s waitlisted. His top choice now is ranked 50-60 on USNWR.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:ED1 - Dream school with a reasonable chance.

ED2 - Target.

EA - everything else.

That is about the safest way to do it to maximize satisfaction.

Which doesn't work for the vast majority of schools my Dc applied to because they only had ED and RD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

It may not be as drastic as the raw numbers suggest, but it is a big admission advantage. No mistake about it.

The reason there are higher admit rates in ED is because students self select a school that is a very strong fit. That advantage vanishes if you are going ED to “take a chance”. Sure, if you really know it’s the school for you, go ED. But if you are considering different programs and might have different ideas in 6 months when you have more information, don’t ED to a school just because it’s high in rankings. That’s when you get to post in the thread about regrets …

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You are assuming your DC would have gotten in ED. Very well might have still been rejected.

+1

OP here. This is right. On the other hand, we didn’t even try and have to live with that regret. It looks almost certain DS would have gotten into UVA if he had done ED there. UVA is GPA focused and DS was above what looked like the GPA cut off for ED.

If we had it to over again, we would have advised DS to ED at UVA. Instead he’s waitlisted. His top choice now is ranked 50-60 on USNWR.

My dc is going to one of those (Miami) and would choose that over UVA any day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ED gives full pay kids a significant advantage.[/quote


Except when they don't get in. It really is meant for athletes and legacies.[/quote

UVA, Chicago and Northwestern filled over half their class with ED. It is some athletes and legacies. And lots of kids who played the admissions strategy right. I know because my unhooked kid is one of them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ED gives full pay kids a significant advantage.[/quote


Except when they don't get in. It really is meant for athletes and legacies.

UVA, Chicago and Northwestern filled over half their class with ED. It is some athletes and legacies. And lots of kids who played the admissions strategy right. I know because my unhooked kid is one of them.

[Anonymous]

This is great advice - My kid applied ED and got into his reach, and other kids with better grades and stats were rejected in April. Kids who RD'd were down a tier from the ED kids. Sad but true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is great advice - My kid applied ED and got into his reach, and other kids with better grades and stats were rejected in April. Kids who RD'd were down a tier from the ED kids. Sad but true.

And yet at every admissions event the ADs swear up and down that it isn't true. Liars the lot of 'em.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ED1 - Dream school with a reasonable chance.

ED2 - Target.

EA - everything else.

That is about the safest way to do it to maximize satisfaction.

Which doesn't work for the vast majority of schools my Dc applied to because they only had ED and RD.

Lots of schools only offer ED/RD, not just the ones your DC is applying to. Both of my DCs did ED1. One had selected an ED2, if necessary. The other was thinking they would roll to RD. Both of them picked a range of schools, intentionally including some that offered EA. While both got in early decision, I think I would've suggested that both pick a rolling decision school if I had been more on it.