Lessons learned from ED and SCEA in 2025

[Anonymous]

ED or SCEA or REA, is a free option for the applicant and should be used. DC got in ED and is very happy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Macalester and now Oberlin have EA with notification before RD deadlines. Macalester admits EA in late Dec after the typical ED deadlines and asks everyone to withdraw if they were accepted ED.

Oberlin hasn't released EA results yet, and won't til mid-January.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Private counselors love steering kids during ED1 to make sure hooked kids get what they want.

For the less fortunate unhooked kids, often they were steered to ED1 Chicago, Tulane, Northeastern.

If these are not your first choice, do NOT ED1 there. Always ED1 to your first choice, or not ED at all.

Once you have some safety/target EA acceptance, your private school counselor stops steering, and will allow you RD any school you want because by now all the hooked have gotten in.

RD is the stage when the unhooked get some amazing results!

What if the first choice is Yale/Brown/Princeton/Stanford, the distant 5th choice is Rice, and your DC’s school has a great track record getting kids into Rice during ED, then what do you do?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Applied REA to HYS--and it was a good choice. Rejected. From TJ, high stats, excellent ECs. Two students accepted (Asian Am, unhooked, excellent resume).

The 2 we know (not TJ) accepted ED to Dartmouth are both white girls, unhooked, not legacy, non-athletes. One from NoVA private, one from public. High stats, good candidates.

The REA was a good learning experience, and it was good to see who got in--it re-shaped
DC's strategy, and kicked DC's butt a bit, and now the RD essays are loads better. While I'm bummed that DC didn't get at least deferred, we see the app in a different way, and see a lot of the mistakes that were missed before. DC's app was excellent--well researched, well written, etc but seeing who they let in makes more sense. It was a good reality check. Added a few more targets and safeties.

Different data point: talked to an APS parent yesterday who said all the T15 EDs she knows (except one at Cornell) from APS were all legacy. Except UVA. Also, looks like a reduction of international students is showing up in some numbers. For example--not much different at ED UVA (probably mostly in-state, domestic). But more folks getting a "yes" at SCEA,REA and tough ED schools.

Good luck!

Can you share what were the mistakes and what kind of candidates made more sense as accepts? Thanks

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Agree that essays can improve over time but disagree with conclusion. If your kid is a good planner, ED won't be rushed. Deadlines are mostly in November so kids have summer and most of fall. If your kid is not a good planner, the first application, whether the deadline is September or January, will be rushed because many kids use deadlines to plan backwards. They don't get focused until crunch time. And, even if the essays improve over time, spreading them out over a few months helps.

Our experience was different.
Definitely submitting better apps than the ED app. It wasn't about being prepared, or good project management. The thing that changed and improved is that after filling out other applications, different questions at different schools provoked new insights. Many T10 schools have similar questions with different accent marks--so after writing the "talk about a conflict" conversation, my DC had different insights about how DC's life experiences shaped them. And so the essays were better. Another example: applying for the UC schools was GREAT because they ask for no-frills answers, and it really helped to tighten up DC's answers. The apps after the UC apps are stronger, clearer and more compelling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Macalester and now Oberlin have EA with notification before RD deadlines. Macalester admits EA in late Dec after the typical ED deadlines and asks everyone to withdraw if they were accepted ED.

Oberlin hasn't released EA results yet, and won't til mid-January.

NP. They haven't, but my son applied EA and received an email inviting him to switch to ED2 and practically guaranteeing admission (and a new bike lol), so I assume he'll be accepted EA. We shall see!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would strongly discourage spending an ED/REA on Harvard/Yale/Princeton/Brown/Dartmouth unless you are an URM, FGLI, recruited athlete, from a private school, or from an underrepresented state. There is no room at these schools anymore for the normal-excellent upper-middle-class public school white or Asian kid from the DMV or Northeast with a 4.0UW, lots of rigor, and a 1550+/35+; they have too many other institutional priorities. Even legacy is a minimal boost at best.

If you look at the few ED stats presented by Dartmouth, you can see their priorities: low-income, and kids who are in the top quarter of their schools (i.e., not necessarily impressive compared to students at more rigorous or competitive schools)

https://home.dartmouth.edu/news/2025/12/dartmouth-welcomes-first-members-class-2030

My unhooked public school kid got into one of those schools this year. It happens…

I wonder if the disconnect is that many more kids from private schools are hooked/VIP so it seems to those parents that only those kids get in. But that's not always the case from public schools - some are hooked (legacy/athlete) but there are unhooked kids getting in. Our public had a great early round to the Top 5 schools. Unhooked, accomplished, smart kids.

These kids also exist at private schools. Ours gets a lot of unhooked kids into T5 schools.

Just don’t see nearly as many public school kids getting in locally, especially non magnet school kids.

If your private sends lots of kids to top schools, it’s a feeder and that means the student body is hooked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Private counselors love steering kids during ED1 to make sure hooked kids get what they want.

For the less fortunate unhooked kids, often they were steered to ED1 Chicago, Tulane, Northeastern.

If these are not your first choice, do NOT ED1 there. Always ED1 to your first choice, or not ED at all.

Once you have some safety/target EA acceptance, your private school counselor stops steering, and will allow you RD any school you want because by now all the hooked have gotten in.

RD is the stage when the unhooked get some amazing results!

What if the first choice is Yale/Brown/Princeton/Stanford, the distant 5th choice is Rice, and your DC’s school has a great track record getting kids into Rice during ED, then what do you do?

If your kid likes Rice and is unhooked elsewhere, Rice ED.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Private counselors love steering kids during ED1 to make sure hooked kids get what they want.

For the less fortunate unhooked kids, often they were steered to ED1 Chicago, Tulane, Northeastern.

If these are not your first choice, do NOT ED1 there. Always ED1 to your first choice, or not ED at all.

Once you have some safety/target EA acceptance, your private school counselor stops steering, and will allow you RD any school you want because by now all the hooked have gotten in.

RD is the stage when the unhooked get some amazing results!

What if the first choice is Yale/Brown/Princeton/Stanford, the distant 5th choice is Rice, and your DC’s school has a great track record getting kids into Rice during ED, then what do you do?

There is a difference between a pipe dream and a first choice.

Pipe dream?: ED Rice. Much underrated school.
Yale/Brown/Princeton/Stanford is a true realistic first choice?: Rice would be your ED2/RD school. I am sure your DC's school's track record includes ED2 Rice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Private counselors love steering kids during ED1 to make sure hooked kids get what they want.

For the less fortunate unhooked kids, often they were steered to ED1 Chicago, Tulane, Northeastern.

If these are not your first choice, do NOT ED1 there. Always ED1 to your first choice, or not ED at all.

Once you have some safety/target EA acceptance, your private school counselor stops steering, and will allow you RD any school you want because by now all the hooked have gotten in.

RD is the stage when the unhooked get some amazing results!

What if the first choice is Yale/Brown/Princeton/Stanford, the distant 5th choice is Rice, and your DC’s school has a great track record getting kids into Rice during ED, then what do you do?

you apply to yale etc

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would strongly discourage spending an ED/REA on Harvard/Yale/Princeton/Brown/Dartmouth unless you are an URM, FGLI, recruited athlete, from a private school, or from an underrepresented state. There is no room at these schools anymore for the normal-excellent upper-middle-class public school white or Asian kid from the DMV or Northeast with a 4.0UW, lots of rigor, and a 1550+/35+; they have too many other institutional priorities. Even legacy is a minimal boost at best.

If you look at the few ED stats presented by Dartmouth, you can see their priorities: low-income, and kids who are in the top quarter of their schools (i.e., not necessarily impressive compared to students at more rigorous or competitive schools)

https://home.dartmouth.edu/news/2025/12/dartmouth-welcomes-first-members-class-2030

My unhooked public school kid got into one of those schools this year. It happens…

I wonder if the disconnect is that many more kids from private schools are hooked/VIP so it seems to those parents that only those kids get in. But that's not always the case from public schools - some are hooked (legacy/athlete) but there are unhooked kids getting in. Our public had a great early round to the Top 5 schools. Unhooked, accomplished, smart kids.

These kids also exist at private schools. Ours gets a lot of unhooked kids into T5 schools.

Just don’t see nearly as many public school kids getting in locally, especially non magnet school kids.

If your private sends lots of kids to top schools, it’s a feeder and that means the student body is hooked.

Not necessarily, our feeder gets lots of unhooked kids into top schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would strongly discourage spending an ED/REA on Harvard/Yale/Princeton/Brown/Dartmouth unless you are an URM, FGLI, recruited athlete, from a private school, or from an underrepresented state. There is no room at these schools anymore for the normal-excellent upper-middle-class public school white or Asian kid from the DMV or Northeast with a 4.0UW, lots of rigor, and a 1550+/35+; they have too many other institutional priorities. Even legacy is a minimal boost at best.

If you look at the few ED stats presented by Dartmouth, you can see their priorities: low-income, and kids who are in the top quarter of their schools (i.e., not necessarily impressive compared to students at more rigorous or competitive schools)

https://home.dartmouth.edu/news/2025/12/dartmouth-welcomes-first-members-class-2030

Duke as well! I also think you should keep your eye on Michigan. They deferred a ton of kids from their first ED cycle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do NOT apply ED1 (or ED2) to a school that is not the absolute #1. My DS wanted to apply ED1 to his top choice but it was a reach. He settled and applied to another school he liked but didn't love as much, but it had a better ED acceptance track record so it was safer. And he got in. He had to withdraw all other apps and will never know if some of the other schools on his list (including his actual 1st choice) would have accepted him. He has regrets.

ED forces you to make decisions you're not ready to make and to second-guess your gut to "play the game".

No it doesn't, your kid just did ED wrong. No regrets when you only ED to your first choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Agree that essays can improve over time but disagree with conclusion. If your kid is a good planner, ED won't be rushed. Deadlines are mostly in November so kids have summer and most of fall. If your kid is not a good planner, the first application, whether the deadline is September or January, will be rushed because many kids use deadlines to plan backwards. They don't get focused until crunch time. And, even if the essays improve over time, spreading them out over a few months helps.

Our experience was different.
Definitely submitting better apps than the ED app. It wasn't about being prepared, or good project management. The thing that changed and improved is that after filling out other applications, different questions at different schools provoked new insights. Many T10 schools have similar questions with different accent marks--so after writing the "talk about a conflict" conversation, my DC had different insights about how DC's life experiences shaped them. And so the essays were better. Another example: applying for the UC schools was GREAT because they ask for no-frills answers, and it really helped to tighten up DC's answers. The apps after the UC apps are stronger, clearer and more compelling.

+100. I thought DCs REA app was strong, but then their finished UC app a month later was even better. He ended up getting accepted to his REA school, so it's too bad about the UCs but those essays were just so good. I can imagine that if he had to apply in RD his apps would continue to get stronger.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Private counselors love steering kids during ED1 to make sure hooked kids get what they want.

For the less fortunate unhooked kids, often they were steered to ED1 Chicago, Tulane, Northeastern.

If these are not your first choice, do NOT ED1 there. Always ED1 to your first choice, or not ED at all.

Once you have some safety/target EA acceptance, your private school counselor stops steering, and will allow you RD any school you want because by now all the hooked have gotten in.

RD is the stage when the unhooked get some amazing results!

What if the first choice is Yale/Brown/Princeton/Stanford, the distant 5th choice is Rice, and your DC’s school has a great track record getting kids into Rice during ED, then what do you do?

ED is for first choices, not fifth choices. In this situation, go for your top 4 choices in REA/RD. Unless Brown is actually a first choice, in which case you can ED to Brown.