Advice needed after ED rejection

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I believe ED2 is predatory, if not a scam. Limited selection of schools and acceptance rates are not much higher than RD.

Do they have a balanced list of schools for RD? I would definitely reach out to your school counselor for advice on RD list/strategy.

I don’t understand what’s predatory about it. What’s the downside?

If the school is genuinely is your kid’s top remaining choice, what’s the harm in checking the ED2 box? If you get deferred, you’re no worse off than if you just kept it RD. And if you get denied, you know sooner rather than later and can pivot away mentally.

If the school is not your kid’s top remaining choice, it’s up to you whether and how you want to play the odds. Drop down to a safer choice ED2? Take a shot at a higher school, knowing the odds are low? Or stick with RD across the board?

You have options, and it’s a completely personal choice, 100% in your control. Nothing predatory about that, IMO.

Because the college admissions process really shouldn't be about "playing the odds." But unfortunately, that is what it is. Kids should be trying to find the best school for them. Unfortunately, it has become a miserable process with too much focus on gaming the system, both by the applicants and the school.

I know two people who went to Cornell.

One was rejected and went to SUNY Binghamton for a year, then transferred.

The other applied to one of the Statutory schools which is much less glamorous but still provides a quality Cornell education.

“But I really want it” is not a convincing argument. For any school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I believe ED2 is predatory, if not a scam. Limited selection of schools and acceptance rates are not much higher than RD.

Do they have a balanced list of schools for RD? I would definitely reach out to your school counselor for advice on RD list/strategy.

I don’t understand what’s predatory about it. What’s the downside?

If the school is genuinely is your kid’s top remaining choice, what’s the harm in checking the ED2 box? If you get deferred, you’re no worse off than if you just kept it RD. And if you get denied, you know sooner rather than later and can pivot away mentally.

If the school is not your kid’s top remaining choice, it’s up to you whether and how you want to play the odds. Drop down to a safer choice ED2? Take a shot at a higher school, knowing the odds are low? Or stick with RD across the board?

You have options, and it’s a completely personal choice, 100% in your control. Nothing predatory about that, IMO.

Because the college admissions process really shouldn't be about "playing the odds." But unfortunately, that is what it is. Kids should be trying to find the best school for them. Unfortunately, it has become a miserable process with too much focus on gaming the system, both by the applicants and the school.

I know two people who went to Cornell.

One was rejected and went to SUNY Binghamton for a year, then transferred.

The other applied to one of the Statutory schools which is much less glamorous but still provides a quality Cornell education.

“But I really want it” is not a convincing argument. For any school.

lol This is just not true.

Go away troll.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Johns Hopkins could be a great fit too.

+1 Little known secret how strong humanities programs are there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I believe ED2 is predatory, if not a scam. Limited selection of schools and acceptance rates are not much higher than RD.

Do they have a balanced list of schools for RD? I would definitely reach out to your school counselor for advice on RD list/strategy.

I don’t understand what’s predatory about it. What’s the downside?

If the school is genuinely is your kid’s top remaining choice, what’s the harm in checking the ED2 box? If you get deferred, you’re no worse off than if you just kept it RD. And if you get denied, you know sooner rather than later and can pivot away mentally.

If the school is not your kid’s top remaining choice, it’s up to you whether and how you want to play the odds. Drop down to a safer choice ED2? Take a shot at a higher school, knowing the odds are low? Or stick with RD across the board?

You have options, and it’s a completely personal choice, 100% in your control. Nothing predatory about that, IMO.

Because the college admissions process really shouldn't be about "playing the odds." But unfortunately, that is what it is. Kids should be trying to find the best school for them. Unfortunately, it has become a miserable process with too much focus on gaming the system, both by the applicants and the school.

I know two people who went to Cornell.

One was rejected and went to SUNY Binghamton for a year, then transferred.

The other applied to one of the Statutory schools which is much less glamorous but still provides a quality Cornell education.

“But I really want it” is not a convincing argument. For any school.

What an ignorant, non-responsive post. But anyway...

[Anonymous]

Talk to the school counselor and learn where the kids end up who are rejected by Cornell, rejected but end up happy somewhere else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Johns Hopkins could be a great fit too.

+1 Little known secret how strong humanities programs are there.

Agree. I'd also consider Rice. Fabulous school, also excellent humanities programs.

[Anonymous]

In this situation I’d have my kid consider ED2 at Tufts, Emory or Wash U, great schools that are tough in RD. We had success with ED2 but DC was mostly looking at SLACs. Agree with focusing on the humanities angle, not pre-med. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I believe ED2 is predatory, if not a scam. Limited selection of schools and acceptance rates are not much higher than RD.

Do they have a balanced list of schools for RD? I would definitely reach out to your school counselor for advice on RD list/strategy.

I don’t understand what’s predatory about it. What’s the downside?

If the school is genuinely is your kid’s top remaining choice, what’s the harm in checking the ED2 box? If you get deferred, you’re no worse off than if you just kept it RD. And if you get denied, you know sooner rather than later and can pivot away mentally.

If the school is not your kid’s top remaining choice, it’s up to you whether and how you want to play the odds. Drop down to a safer choice ED2? Take a shot at a higher school, knowing the odds are low? Or stick with RD across the board?

You have options, and it’s a completely personal choice, 100% in your control. Nothing predatory about that, IMO.

Because the college admissions process really shouldn't be about "playing the odds." But unfortunately, that is what it is. Kids should be trying to find the best school for them. Unfortunately, it has become a miserable process with too much focus on gaming the system, both by the applicants and the school.

I know two people who went to Cornell.

One was rejected and went to SUNY Binghamton for a year, then transferred.

The other applied to one of the Statutory schools which is much less glamorous but still provides a quality Cornell education.

“But I really want it” is not a convincing argument. For any school.

lol This is just not true.

Go away troll.

DP here, it sounds true to me. Grew up in NY, it was a well known fact that the Ag School was a much easier admit than Arts & Sciences.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for the responses. They have a couple of safeties in the bag already. Waiting on some EA's in January. Our school does not have that many athletes (usually 2 or 3). Legacies possibly a few more.

Kid wants medium sized, not Liberal Arts type school (didn't like Amherst, etc.) Did like Emory, but not sure about ED there.

Has 4.3 weighted and all 5's on APs from junior year. That puts them in top 30% of class. Small school with about 90 graduating each year. I think JHU will be a long shot (don't they want top 10% of class?)

CMU? I think that fits him well if he doesn’t mind the location.

Careful -- Carnegie Mellon tracks demonstrated interest. It's late in the game to show such interest now.

[Anonymous]

Johns Hopkins - excellent humanities and social sciences (econ, IR)!

WashU - like Princeton but in St. Louis

Williams - no essays, just share a graded assignment

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Johns Hopkins - excellent humanities and social sciences (econ, IR)!

WashU - like Princeton but in St. Louis

Williams - no essays, just share a graded assignment

Neither Hopkins or Williams is taking outside top twenty percent of class.

[Anonymous]

I'm a big ED fan but the more I dig, the less convinced I am that ED2 is a realistic avenue at most schools. Few if any publish the breakdown between ED1 and ED2 admits, but I've heard anecdotally that the vast majority of ED admits are in the first round and ED2 is used for a few late athletes. Not saying not to try it, but if your DC lost out at ED1, you should probably steel yourself for RD and make sure your strategy for that round is totally solid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for the responses. They have a couple of safeties in the bag already. Waiting on some EA's in January. Our school does not have that many athletes (usually 2 or 3). Legacies possibly a few more.

Kid wants medium sized, not Liberal Arts type school (didn't like Amherst, etc.) Did like Emory, but not sure about ED there.

Has 4.3 weighted and all 5's on APs from junior year. That puts them in top 30% of class. Small school with about 90 graduating each year. I think JHU will be a long shot (don't they want top 10% of class?)

CMU? I think that fits him well if he doesn’t mind the location.

Careful -- Carnegie Mellon tracks demonstrated interest. It's late in the game to show such interest now.

I wouldn’t go to CMU for humanities unless specifically interested in fine arts or theater.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:ED is despised by a specific type - those without the ability to take advantage of it. There are usually two reasons for this:

1. There kid does not have a clear first choice.

2. Those who aren’t poor enough to get need-based aid via the NPC but can’t or don’t want to pay full price.

However they are still quite entitled and used to getting their way and they are stomping their feet that some people have an advantage they don’t - ED.

It seems on brand for this board to cackle about everything being fair and merit based, except for the advantage that I have?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Kid got rejected from Cornell. Excellent private school that sends 40% of kids to top 30 schools. They are top 30% of class. SAT of 1550. Humanities major. Any ideas on strategy for ED2? Going forward? TIA. Please be nice.

Strategy? Move on? Apply to an additional school?