Would ED/EA ever end without legislation?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The ongoing antitrust lawsuit could put an end to it. Colleges, like any businesses, can't agree to restraints on trade. They can't agree to a particular deadline. And they coordinate to blacklist or punish a student who violates an ED agreement (which is not legally binding).

https://www.cohenmilstein.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Complaint-DAmico-v-Consortium-on-Financing-Higher-Education-August-8-2025.pdf

It’s not legally blinding but a college is never required to ever consider your application. So long as they aren’t discriminating, a college could arbitrarily decide applications submitted on wednesdays and sundays will be cut.

If it isn’t legally binding maybe my kid should just ED to 20 schools and treat it like EA.

If you can find a guidance counselor who will release transcripts in that scenario, go for it. That will be your gating item.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The ongoing antitrust lawsuit could put an end to it. Colleges, like any businesses, can't agree to restraints on trade. They can't agree to a particular deadline. And they coordinate to blacklist or punish a student who violates an ED agreement (which is not legally binding).

https://www.cohenmilstein.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Complaint-DAmico-v-Consortium-on-Financing-Higher-Education-August-8-2025.pdf

It’s not legally blinding but a college is never required to ever consider your application. So long as they aren’t discriminating, a college could arbitrarily decide applications submitted on wednesdays and sundays will be cut.

If it isn’t legally binding maybe my kid should just ED to 20 schools and treat it like EA.

If you can find a guidance counselor who will release transcripts in that scenario, go for it. That will be your gating item.

Why should my guidance counselor constrain me. Don’t I have a legal right to my transcript?

[Anonymous]

Why can’t I claim discrimination again me if the counselor uniquely won’t send my transcript to 20 schools but they will send another kids transcript to 20 schools? If ED isn’t legally binding aren’t we in the exact same situation and shouldn’t we be treated the same?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:it's filling up college seats with athletes first. it's ridiculously obvious that athletes are priority one - far above rich people.

I actually see fewer issues with people who pay more getting first dibs. That happens in every business. I just dont why we care who can sail the fastest.

100% this is happening. Male athletes are taking up nearly HALF of male spots at SLACs. Those spots are gone before strong male students can apply. I'm not saying the male athletes aren't qualified but most of the rejected students at these SLACs are more than qualified and still there aren't any spots left for them. It's weird. It's particularly bad at places like Swarthmore, CMC, Haverford, Hamilton, etc.

It’s really clear why. Athletes tend to be economics majors and go into good careers, making them great alum. Could they accept the studious kid who’d make a great philosophy major and get into NYU for a PhD? Sure, but that person tends to not donate, makes less money, and tends to be less prideful of their LAC experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The ongoing antitrust lawsuit could put an end to it. Colleges, like any businesses, can't agree to restraints on trade. They can't agree to a particular deadline. And they coordinate to blacklist or punish a student who violates an ED agreement (which is not legally binding).

https://www.cohenmilstein.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Complaint-DAmico-v-Consortium-on-Financing-Higher-Education-August-8-2025.pdf

It’s not legally blinding but a college is never required to ever consider your application. So long as they aren’t discriminating, a college could arbitrarily decide applications submitted on wednesdays and sundays will be cut.

If it isn’t legally binding maybe my kid should just ED to 20 schools and treat it like EA.

That’s the issue. It’s the schools coordinating to enforce these nonbinding agreements that is the problem. If the schools find out you breached your ED agreement, they’ll retaliate and protect the ED school to protect ED as a whole.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The ongoing antitrust lawsuit could put an end to it. Colleges, like any businesses, can't agree to restraints on trade. They can't agree to a particular deadline. And they coordinate to blacklist or punish a student who violates an ED agreement (which is not legally binding).

https://www.cohenmilstein.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Complaint-DAmico-v-Consortium-on-Financing-Higher-Education-August-8-2025.pdf

It’s not legally blinding but a college is never required to ever consider your application. So long as they aren’t discriminating, a college could arbitrarily decide applications submitted on wednesdays and sundays will be cut.

If it isn’t legally binding maybe my kid should just ED to 20 schools and treat it like EA.

That’s the issue. It’s the schools coordinating to enforce these nonbinding agreements that is the problem. If the schools find out you breached your ED agreement, they’ll retaliate and protect the ED school to protect ED as a whole.

Exactly. The argument that it isn’t legally binding is the thing I actually have the issue with.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The ongoing antitrust lawsuit could put an end to it. Colleges, like any businesses, can't agree to restraints on trade. They can't agree to a particular deadline. And they coordinate to blacklist or punish a student who violates an ED agreement (which is not legally binding).

https://www.cohenmilstein.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Complaint-DAmico-v-Consortium-on-Financing-Higher-Education-August-8-2025.pdf

It’s not legally blinding but a college is never required to ever consider your application. So long as they aren’t discriminating, a college could arbitrarily decide applications submitted on wednesdays and sundays will be cut.

If it isn’t legally binding maybe my kid should just ED to 20 schools and treat it like EA.

That’s the issue. It’s the schools coordinating to enforce these nonbinding agreements that is the problem. If the schools find out you breached your ED agreement, they’ll retaliate and protect the ED school to protect ED as a whole.

Other than Tulane punishing that private school in Colorado, I have not really heard of this happening.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It fills up the class early with people who got cash. Athletes as mentioned. Requires overcommitting behavior like an auction. Avoids competition. Jacks up prices…

Interesting. I bet it does elevate prices.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The ongoing antitrust lawsuit could put an end to it. Colleges, like any businesses, can't agree to restraints on trade. They can't agree to a particular deadline. And they coordinate to blacklist or punish a student who violates an ED agreement (which is not legally binding).

https://www.cohenmilstein.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Complaint-DAmico-v-Consortium-on-Financing-Higher-Education-August-8-2025.pdf

It’s not legally blinding but a college is never required to ever consider your application. So long as they aren’t discriminating, a college could arbitrarily decide applications submitted on wednesdays and sundays will be cut.

If it isn’t legally binding maybe my kid should just ED to 20 schools and treat it like EA.

That’s the issue. It’s the schools coordinating to enforce these nonbinding agreements that is the problem. If the schools find out you breached your ED agreement, they’ll retaliate and protect the ED school to protect ED as a whole.

Other than Tulane punishing that private school in Colorado, I have not really heard of this happening.

I have.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:no, nothing to legislate ... perfectly legal based on mutual consent and agreement

+1
I only *wish* my kid's top-choice school had ED!! What better way to express interest than by committing to go there?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The ongoing antitrust lawsuit could put an end to it. Colleges, like any businesses, can't agree to restraints on trade. They can't agree to a particular deadline. And they coordinate to blacklist or punish a student who violates an ED agreement (which is not legally binding).

https://www.cohenmilstein.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Complaint-DAmico-v-Consortium-on-Financing-Higher-Education-August-8-2025.pdf

It’s not legally blinding but a college is never required to ever consider your application. So long as they aren’t discriminating, a college could arbitrarily decide applications submitted on wednesdays and sundays will be cut.

If it isn’t legally binding maybe my kid should just ED to 20 schools and treat it like EA.

That’s the issue. It’s the schools coordinating to enforce these nonbinding agreements that is the problem. If the schools find out you breached your ED agreement, they’ll retaliate and protect the ED school to protect ED as a whole.

Other than Tulane punishing that private school in Colorado, I have not really heard of this happening.

I have.

Black listing an entire school is very uncommon. But when RD comes around and kid who EDed at Williams gets into Harvard RD and tries to back out, Williams will contact Harvard and ask them to “honor” the agreement by rescinding the Harvard acceptance. That’s the enforcement.

[Anonymous]

Why would anyone SIGN an agreement if they didn't intend to honor it? How incredibly dishonest. There's nothing wrong with ED.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The ongoing antitrust lawsuit could put an end to it. Colleges, like any businesses, can't agree to restraints on trade. They can't agree to a particular deadline. And they coordinate to blacklist or punish a student who violates an ED agreement (which is not legally binding).

https://www.cohenmilstein.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Complaint-DAmico-v-Consortium-on-Financing-Higher-Education-August-8-2025.pdf

It’s not legally blinding but a college is never required to ever consider your application. So long as they aren’t discriminating, a college could arbitrarily decide applications submitted on wednesdays and sundays will be cut.

If it isn’t legally binding maybe my kid should just ED to 20 schools and treat it like EA.

That’s the issue. It’s the schools coordinating to enforce these nonbinding agreements that is the problem. If the schools find out you breached your ED agreement, they’ll retaliate and protect the ED school to protect ED as a whole.

Other than Tulane punishing that private school in Colorado, I have not really heard of this happening.

I have.

Black listing an entire school is very uncommon. But when RD comes around and kid who EDed at Williams gets into Harvard RD and tries to back out, Williams will contact Harvard and ask them to “honor” the agreement by rescinding the Harvard acceptance. That’s the enforcement.

Another way ED agreements are enforced is that (at least recently), college would disseminate lists of accepted ED candidates to peer schools so they could know not to accept them if they received an RD app.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The ongoing antitrust lawsuit could put an end to it. Colleges, like any businesses, can't agree to restraints on trade. They can't agree to a particular deadline. And they coordinate to blacklist or punish a student who violates an ED agreement (which is not legally binding).

https://www.cohenmilstein.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Complaint-DAmico-v-Consortium-on-Financing-Higher-Education-August-8-2025.pdf

It’s not legally blinding but a college is never required to ever consider your application. So long as they aren’t discriminating, a college could arbitrarily decide applications submitted on wednesdays and sundays will be cut.

If it isn’t legally binding maybe my kid should just ED to 20 schools and treat it like EA.

That’s the issue. It’s the schools coordinating to enforce these nonbinding agreements that is the problem. If the schools find out you breached your ED agreement, they’ll retaliate and protect the ED school to protect ED as a whole.

Other than Tulane punishing that private school in Colorado, I have not really heard of this happening.

Ok, then why shouldn’t my kid apply to 20 schools ED. If they don’t even punish the kids after them there really is nothing stopping kids from doing this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why would anyone SIGN an agreement if they didn't intend to honor it? How incredibly dishonest. There's nothing wrong with ED.

It’s incredibly dishonest to present something unenforceable as a legally binding contract to an 18 year old trying to maximize their chances of getting into a top school by taking away the student’s ability to compare multiple offers in exchange for a better acceptance rate.