Not exactly what you asked, esp since our child got into their ED1 school, but their ED 2 choice would have been the school 2nd on their list that they wanted to attend. It was a lottery target (so many apply that if you get chosen it's like winning the lottery, even if your stats are all at the tops of their ranges). FYI, ED 1 was a lottery target as well - our child won the lottery

Anonymous wrote:Kid was accepted at ED1, but we insisted that by end of Thanksgiving break, he had to have his ED2 school chosen and application ready to click submit on the day ED2 decisions came out.

School 1 was UChicago and school 2 was Swarthmore. Even though he got in, he had also gotten excited about the Swarthmore option so would have been excited to click submit and roll the dice for ED2.

Two most serious academic schools in the country!

Kid was accepted at ED1, but we insisted that by end of Thanksgiving break, he had to have his ED2 school chosen and application ready to click submit on the day ED2 decisions came out.

School 1 was UChicago and school 2 was Swarthmore. Even though he got in, he had also gotten excited about the Swarthmore option so would have been excited to click submit and roll the dice for ED2.

I would suggest being more aggressive about ED1 and ED2, and less inclined to reach with them, if there are significant imperfections in the app. A few bad grades, low end of range test scores or TO, light ECs. If you need the school to overlook some underwhelming pieces of the puzzle, ED is the way to go.

My DC got in ED1. But if hadn’t, likely would have rolled the dice with RD. Some of the schools on list offered ED2 and others didn’t. There was a clear first choice that DC was willing to make a binding commitment to. But no clear second choice (and most likely second choice didn’t offer ED2) and wasn’t willing to make binding commitment if wasn’t certain.

Anonymous wrote:My kid got in ED1, but it could have gone the other way and we didn't have any kind of ED2 plan. We were going to take a psycho road trip to see as many schools as possible over the holiday break (prior visit opportunities were constrained by Covid.) I was pushing for a more competitive school for ED2, which I now know would have been nuts.

Whatever you do, don't leave it until you hear from the ED1; definitely push your kid to pick an alternative, if only to avoid getting too fixated on one school.

Why were you thinking going more competitive for ED2? What was the rationale?

Agree about ED1, then ED2 (or not strategy). One DC had an ED1, ED2 strategy with the second option at more of a high target while the ED1 was at a low to medium reach, which CCO thought was a high probability of admit. Second DC had an ED1 strategy, but would not agree on an ED2, which was interesting as this DC is usually more organized and gaming risks than the other one. This DC also probably a little more self assured as their CCO was saying they would be fine with applications to 30% admits and below. Fortunately both DCs got in ED1. I can't imagine what would have happened if the second DC would have ended up with WLs/rejects due to the CCO's possibly bad advice.

Anonymous wrote:From my observation, with no hard data to back this up, the success rate in ED2 is low. I don’t know if that’s because it isn’t offered many places so everyone ED2s the same schools, if kids shoot too high, or what.

What is interesting about ED2 is that the schools have the RD apps at the same time. So they are making the decision with a lot of information about the RD pool. Clearly ED2 applicants have an edge on the RD applicants since the yield is 100 percent. A marginal RD applicant prob squeaks in ED2

My kid got in ED1, but it could have gone the other way and we didn't have any kind of ED2 plan. We were going to take a psycho road trip to see as many schools as possible over the holiday break (prior visit opportunities were constrained by Covid.) I was pushing for a more competitive school for ED2, which I now know would have been nuts.

Whatever you do, don't leave it until you hear from the ED1; definitely push your kid to pick an alternative, if only to avoid getting too fixated on one school.

From my observation, with no hard data to back this up, the success rate in ED2 is low. I don’t know if that’s because it isn’t offered many places so everyone ED2s the same schools, if kids shoot too high, or what.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Depends how you feel about the different schools and the risks you are willing to take. DC was rejected ED1 and whereas DC was initially planning to apply to an equivalent school ED2, DC decided to play it safe and pivot to a somewhat easier to get in option for ED2 (which DC would be just as happy if not happier attending). Got in ED2, no regrets. You don’t want to be in a position where you get shut our ED1 and ED2 because you reached too high and then end up with unsatisfactory RD acceptances- Icarus scenario

My kid is a risk-taker; I'm risk-averse in this scenario. I think their ED1 pick is an "appropriate reach" but yes, I'm concerned that if they sit out the ED2 round, they may be looking at some RD choices that they're not super psyched about. (To be clear: they have 4-5 likelies that they're happy with, just not as happy as their reaches/targets.)

So this is all hypothetical for next year?

Anonymous wrote:Depends how you feel about the different schools and the risks you are willing to take. DC was rejected ED1 and whereas DC was initially planning to apply to an equivalent school ED2, DC decided to play it safe and pivot to a somewhat easier to get in option for ED2 (which DC would be just as happy if not happier attending). Got in ED2, no regrets. You don’t want to be in a position where you get shut our ED1 and ED2 because you reached too high and then end up with unsatisfactory RD acceptances- Icarus scenario

My kid is a risk-taker; I'm risk-averse in this scenario. I think their ED1 pick is an "appropriate reach" but yes, I'm concerned that if they sit out the ED2 round, they may be looking at some RD choices that they're not super psyched about. (To be clear: they have 4-5 likelies that they're happy with, just not as happy as their reaches/targets.)

Our DC was deferred ED1, had only one school on list that was ED2 and did not choose to go that route. Rejected in RD from ED1 and accepted at the school that they chose to skip ED2 but that acceptance was via an alternative pathway.

Chose a completely different school to attend.

Depends how you feel about the different schools and the risks you are willing to take. DC was rejected ED1 and whereas DC was initially planning to apply to an equivalent school ED2, DC decided to play it safe and pivot to a somewhat easier to get in option for ED2 (which DC would be just as happy if not happier attending). Got in ED2, no regrets. You don’t want to be in a position where you get shut our ED1 and ED2 because you reached too high and then end up with unsatisfactory RD acceptances- Icarus scenario

Anonymous wrote:1. ED2 at somewhere less competitive.
2. Not ED2 at all, in the hope that your ED1 (your top pick) accepts you RD.
3. ED2 at somewhere more competitive -- it doesn't mean you're settling for a lesser school than your ED1 pick, and who knows, maybe you'll get in.

Ds did not apply ED2. He thought seriously about it. There were three schools he considered. One released EA two weeks after the ED2 deadline and dc got in! In the end, he got in RD at the other two options as well. He did not get into his ED1 choice, but got a guaranteed transfer offer, so if he's unhappy wherever he goes next year, he can always go there.

1. ED2 at somewhere less competitive.
2. Not ED2 at all, in the hope that your ED1 (your top pick) accepts you RD.
3. ED2 at somewhere more competitive -- it doesn't mean you're settling for a lesser school than your ED1 pick, and who knows, maybe you'll get in.