is it really easier to get into a college ED?

[Anonymous]

Are there any stats out there that say what a difference Ed actually makes? Like the average SAT score for admitted ED vs average SAT score for RD? I could see the argument going either way-- that it is easier with ED because the college is willing to accept lower SAT score because it's a guaranteed acceptance, but I could also see that it is more difficult and the average SAT is actually higher because the college doesn't want to commit before it sees what else is out there for RD. And that kids that ED won't waste the ED shot on a school unless they are very certain that their score is high enough to get acceptance.

thanks!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are there any stats out there that say what a difference Ed actually makes? Like the average SAT score for admitted ED vs average SAT score for RD? I could see the argument going either way-- that it is easier with ED because the college is willing to accept lower SAT score because it's a guaranteed acceptance, but I could also see that it is more difficult and the average SAT is actually higher because the college doesn't want to commit before it sees what else is out there for RD. And that kids that ED won't waste the ED shot on a school unless they are very certain that their score is high enough to get acceptance.

thanks!

Stats on ED admitted students v. stats on RD admitted students are generally not made public. In general ED has a higher admit rate than RD because it includes:

1. almost all recruited athletes (100% admit rate)
2. Quest bridge students (low income) with 100% admit rate
3. legacy and faculty/staff children applicants (higher admit rate)
4. generally stronger applicant pool since nobody "wastes" an ED on a school that they are not at least well within range for.

If you back out the first three categories of applicants above, then the ED admit rate is usually not all that much better than it is at RD -- particularly for smaller schools where the percentage of the class filled by recruited athletes, legacy, and faculty/staff kids is larger.

[Anonymous]

This doesn't have the SAT scores, but does show the much higher admission rates for ED pools:
https://www.collegetransitions.com/early-actiondecision-vs-regular-decision-admission-rates/

[Anonymous]

At one time Naviance sorted information such that you could see average early admit board scores vs regular decision. That is no longer available at DC's schools but some schools may have retained it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are there any stats out there that say what a difference Ed actually makes? Like the average SAT score for admitted ED vs average SAT score for RD? I could see the argument going either way-- that it is easier with ED because the college is willing to accept lower SAT score because it's a guaranteed acceptance, but I could also see that it is more difficult and the average SAT is actually higher because the college doesn't want to commit before it sees what else is out there for RD. And that kids that ED won't waste the ED shot on a school unless they are very certain that their score is high enough to get acceptance.

thanks!

Stats on ED admitted students v. stats on RD admitted students are generally not made public. In general ED has a higher admit rate than RD because it includes:

1. almost all recruited athletes (100% admit rate)
2. Quest bridge students (low income) with 100% admit rate
3. legacy and faculty/staff children applicants (higher admit rate)
4. generally stronger applicant pool since nobody "wastes" an ED on a school that they are not at least well within range for.

If you back out the first three categories of applicants above, then the ED admit rate is usually not all that much better than it is at RD -- particularly for smaller schools where the percentage of the class filled by recruited athletes, legacy, and faculty/staff kids is larger.

Just FYI - Not all Questbridge students are admitted to the schools they apply to ED. Many are, but it's not a 100% admit rate -- should be amended to be "higher admit rate."https://questbridge.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/218778837-What-is-the-difference-between-a-Finalist-and-a-Match-Scholarship-Recipient-

Also, there are only 40 Questbridge partner schools. https://www.questbridge.org/college-partners

[Anonymous]

OP here-- thanks-- that makes a lot of sense that ED could, or average, have lower scores, but those kids could have hooks that are important to the school. If you don't have a hook, maybe you really don't have any better luck with admission than you would with RD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here-- thanks-- that makes a lot of sense that ED could, or average, have lower scores, but those kids could have hooks that are important to the school. If you don't have a hook, maybe you really don't have any better luck with admission than you would with RD.

If your kid has a strong preference and you can financially commit, applying ED signals to the school that it's your first choice which might tip the scales in a later round. Selective schools care about yield and admitting students that they are pretty sure will enroll.

Anecdotes are not data, but two strong students in my DC's friend group deferred in the ED round where they applied (no hooks) and both wound up being accepted RD - one to Swarthmore, one to Duke.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here-- thanks-- that makes a lot of sense that ED could, or average, have lower scores, but those kids could have hooks that are important to the school. If you don't have a hook, maybe you really don't have any better luck with admission than you would with RD.

If your kid has a strong preference and you can financially commit, applying ED signals to the school that it's your first choice which might tip the scales in a later round. Selective schools care about yield and admitting students that they are pretty sure will enroll.

Anecdotes are not data, but two strong students in my DC's friend group deferred in the ED round where they applied (no hooks) and both wound up being accepted RD - one to Swarthmore, one to Duke.

ED is binding, so it isn't a matter of being pretty sure. An ED applicant is committing to enrollment, so yield in ED is 100% regardless. The other 94% for the most selective schools is due to the chum of RD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here-- thanks-- that makes a lot of sense that ED could, or average, have lower scores, but those kids could have hooks that are important to the school. If you don't have a hook, maybe you really don't have any better luck with admission than you would with RD.

If your kid has a strong preference and you can financially commit, applying ED signals to the school that it's your first choice which might tip the scales in a later round. Selective schools care about yield and admitting students that they are pretty sure will enroll.

Anecdotes are not data, but two strong students in my DC's friend group deferred in the ED round where they applied (no hooks) and both wound up being accepted RD - one to Swarthmore, one to Duke.

ED is binding, so it isn't a matter of being pretty sure. An ED applicant is committing to enrollment, so yield in ED is 100% regardless. The other 94% for the most selective schools is due to the chum of RD.

ED is not binding when you are deferred -- so yield on deferred ED applicants is NOT 100%.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here-- thanks-- that makes a lot of sense that ED could, or average, have lower scores, but those kids could have hooks that are important to the school. If you don't have a hook, maybe you really don't have any better luck with admission than you would with RD.

If your kid has a strong preference and you can financially commit, applying ED signals to the school that it's your first choice which might tip the scales in a later round. Selective schools care about yield and admitting students that they are pretty sure will enroll.

Anecdotes are not data, but two strong students in my DC's friend group deferred in the ED round where they applied (no hooks) and both wound up being accepted RD - one to Swarthmore, one to Duke.

ED is binding, so it isn't a matter of being pretty sure. An ED applicant is committing to enrollment, so yield in ED is 100% regardless. The other 94% for the most selective schools is due to the chum of RD.

ED is not binding when you are deferred -- so yield on deferred ED applicants is NOT 100%.

Deferred is not acceptance. If you are accepted at ED, it is binding. Thus, 100% of applicants accepted at ED will matriculate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here-- thanks-- that makes a lot of sense that ED could, or average, have lower scores, but those kids could have hooks that are important to the school. If you don't have a hook, maybe you really don't have any better luck with admission than you would with RD.

If your kid has a strong preference and you can financially commit, applying ED signals to the school that it's your first choice which might tip the scales in a later round. Selective schools care about yield and admitting students that they are pretty sure will enroll.

Anecdotes are not data, but two strong students in my DC's friend group deferred in the ED round where they applied (no hooks) and both wound up being accepted RD - one to Swarthmore, one to Duke.

ED is binding, so it isn't a matter of being pretty sure. An ED applicant is committing to enrollment, so yield in ED is 100% regardless. The other 94% for the most selective schools is due to the chum of RD.

ED is not binding when you are deferred -- so yield on deferred ED applicants is NOT 100%.

Deferred is not acceptance. If you are accepted at ED, it is binding. Thus, 100% of applicants accepted at ED will matriculate.

I'm the PP. Was unclear

What I was trying to say that the (tiny sample of) students I know who applied ED to Swat and Duke were deferred by the colleges. Both schools said they would consider those kids' apps in the RD round (the students, of course, put in applications at several other schools while they waited). Both were admitted during RD and the college counselor said that the fact that both had signaled that those schools were their top choice by applying ED initially, was a plus when the colleges were looking at their apps in the context of the RD round. Counselor called and discussed the applicants between the deferral and the acceptance.

Colleges do care about yield -- the number of admitted students from the RD round who will actually say yes; obviously, their yield in ED will be 100%.

My point was that even if applying ED doesn't necessarily boost the chances of an unhooked applicant getting in early, having applied ED itself may be a plus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here-- thanks-- that makes a lot of sense that ED could, or average, have lower scores, but those kids could have hooks that are important to the school. If you don't have a hook, maybe you really don't have any better luck with admission than you would with RD.

If your kid has a strong preference and you can financially commit, applying ED signals to the school that it's your first choice which might tip the scales in a later round. Selective schools care about yield and admitting students that they are pretty sure will enroll.

Anecdotes are not data, but two strong students in my DC's friend group deferred in the ED round where they applied (no hooks) and both wound up being accepted RD - one to Swarthmore, one to Duke.

ED is binding, so it isn't a matter of being pretty sure. An ED applicant is committing to enrollment, so yield in ED is 100% regardless. The other 94% for the most selective schools is due to the chum of RD.

ED is not binding when you are deferred -- so yield on deferred ED applicants is NOT 100%.

Deferred is not acceptance. If you are accepted at ED, it is binding. Thus, 100% of applicants accepted at ED will matriculate.

I'm the PP. Was unclear

What I was trying to say that the (tiny sample of) students I know who applied ED to Swat and Duke were deferred by the colleges. Both schools said they would consider those kids' apps in the RD round (the students, of course, put in applications at several other schools while they waited). Both were admitted during RD and the college counselor said that the fact that both had signaled that those schools were their top choice by applying ED initially, was a plus when the colleges were looking at their apps in the context of the RD round. Counselor called and discussed the applicants between the deferral and the acceptance.

Colleges do care about yield -- the number of admitted students from the RD round who will actually say yes; obviously, their yield in ED will be 100%.

My point was that even if applying ED doesn't necessarily boost the chances of an unhooked applicant getting in early, having applied ED itself may be a plus.

I wonder too if ED application is a way need-blind schools can ensure more of their RD admitted pool has the means to pay (which also impacts yield).

[Anonymous]

Yes, I agree, if one applies ED and is deferred, the likelihood that same student would matriculate if accepted at RD is very high.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, I agree, if one applies ED and is deferred, the likelihood that same student would matriculate if accepted at RD is very high.

I know several where the exact opposite occurred. The students were so dejected by the deferral that they lost interest and ended up becoming much more enthusiastic about their other options, in both cases ending up declining the eventual admission to the ED school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, I agree, if one applies ED and is deferred, the likelihood that same student would matriculate if accepted at RD is very high.

I know several where the exact opposite occurred. The students were so dejected by the deferral that they lost interest and ended up becoming much more enthusiastic about their other options, in both cases ending up declining the eventual admission to the ED school.

Yep. I think a combination of counselor outreach and student outreach to their regional reps matters if the ED school is definitely still your first choice.

My kid got an ED rejection and soon after told the college he was not interested in being considered for the RD round.