Your counselor is right. Follow the advice and you'll get into all 3, and can then compare and contrast.

Binding ED is for the desperate with lower stats.

Anonymous wrote:High school counselor encouraging a SCEA to HYP. Mostly P

Kid is leaning ED Williams or Amherst. But not decided.

I worry those two schools are awfully small for a non-athlete boy, but otherwise don’t care. I do care about FA, but NPC work for all

In the next two weeks, do I try to fit in another visit to Williams or Amherst? Or HYP? We’ve been to all these in last couple of years. It’s possible he thinks he doesn’t have a chance at HYP, which he does. But obviously long shot for all. And so are Williams and Amherst.

Or do I just let it play out without stepping in at all. Seems like a big decision, esp the ED.

What are his stats?

I think Williams and Amherst are fantastic and have no issue with any applicant preferring them to HYP. That said, I would advise against EDing to either. As others have mentioned, ED offers no advantage (and some might claim it's an affirmative disadvantage for Williams). But more importantly, many kids change their minds in the time between November ED applications and May 1 final RD decisions. If you ED and are accepted, you're locked in. My kid is at another WASP school (which is wonderful and which she chose over a couple Ivies), but I'd still advise your DC to SCEA at one of HYP and RD to the rest. Then, based on acceptances, your kid can attend admitted student events at his preferred schools and likely make a more informed decision that can accommodate shifting priorities over the next half year.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where does he want to go most out of all of these options? If W or A, then that's your answer. If not, or undecided, then SCEA because if he's not sure and is accepted ED, then he is likely to have regrets. If he gets deferred from P, then he can still apply and have his shot at W OR A.

This. If he has a true first choice, let him apply there. Fwiw, my spouse chose Amherst over Princeton a few decades ago. No regrets as far as I know.

I went to Princeton and wish I had gone to Amherst. I was way over my head there and a smaller school I think would have been a slightly better adjustment.

FA at HYP will probably be better though.

I know someone, an athlete, that chose Amherst over Yale (was being recruited by both). Absolutely no regrets from them.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where does he want to go most out of all of these options? If W or A, then that's your answer. If not, or undecided, then SCEA because if he's not sure and is accepted ED, then he is likely to have regrets. If he gets deferred from P, then he can still apply and have his shot at W OR A.

This. If he has a true first choice, let him apply there. Fwiw, my spouse chose Amherst over Princeton a few decades ago. No regrets as far as I know.

I went to Princeton and wish I had gone to Amherst. I was way over my head there and a smaller school I think would have been a slightly better adjustment.

FA at HYP will probably be better though.

Finally someone demonstrating that the student quality at these LACs is terrible

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where does he want to go most out of all of these options? If W or A, then that's your answer. If not, or undecided, then SCEA because if he's not sure and is accepted ED, then he is likely to have regrets. If he gets deferred from P, then he can still apply and have his shot at W OR A.

This. If he has a true first choice, let him apply there. Fwiw, my spouse chose Amherst over Princeton a few decades ago. No regrets as far as I know.

I went to Princeton and wish I had gone to Amherst. I was way over my head there and a smaller school I think would have been a slightly better adjustment.

FA at HYP will probably be better though.

This is a tough one without knowing more about major, hooks etc.

Unhooked SCEA applications are generally a mistake. At the same time, unhooked applications ED to Williams and Amherst are a bad idea; they have a lower acceptance rate for RD because of athletes Questbridge etc. (the majority of ED admits).

Is this a private or public with a track record of admits to both? Listen to your counselor.

Otherwise, consider a third option.

Let your kid listen to you and the counselor and then make his own decision. I’m secretly hoping Williams is your kid’s first and only choice but only because I’m a happy Eph!

I would trust your counselor. DC’s counselor encouraged an app to H — the only reason I allowed it. No one from our school had got in for over a decade. DC is at H. Thank goodness for the counselor! Dc RD’ed as no hooks.

You people must be joking. Good lord.

Anonymous wrote:High school counselor encouraging a SCEA to HYP. Mostly P

Kid is leaning ED Williams or Amherst. But not decided.

I worry those two schools are awfully small for a non-athlete boy, but otherwise don’t care. I do care about FA, but NPC work for all

In the next two weeks, do I try to fit in another visit to Williams or Amherst? Or HYP? We’ve been to all these in last couple of years. It’s possible he thinks he doesn’t have a chance at HYP, which he does. But obviously long shot for all. And so are Williams and Amherst.

Or do I just let it play out without stepping in at all. Seems like a big decision, esp the ED.

Yes -- do another visit, and see if he can stay over with a student (maybe a recent grad from his school?) and sit in on classes/ club meetings etc.

My kid thought really wanted to go to Amherst. Didn't ED but was accepted RD. At the accepted student event, kid decided they didn't like the vibe, esp. with all the student athletes.

I was really surprised that kid ended up picking someplace else, and was glad we didn't ED (as we'd heard that ED doesn't help for unhooked applicants at Amherst).

Anonymous wrote:Where does he want to go most out of all of these options? If W or A, then that's your answer. If not, or undecided, then SCEA because if he's not sure and is accepted ED, then he is likely to have regrets. If he gets deferred from P, then he can still apply and have his shot at W OR A.

This. If he has a true first choice, let him apply there. Fwiw, my spouse chose Amherst over Princeton a few decades ago. No regrets as far as I know.

Where does he want to go most out of all of these options? If W or A, then that's your answer. If not, or undecided, then SCEA because if he's not sure and is accepted ED, then he is likely to have regrets. If he gets deferred from P, then he can still apply and have his shot at W OR A.

Anonymous wrote:High school counselor encouraging a SCEA to HYP. Mostly P

Kid is leaning ED Williams or Amherst. But not decided.

I worry those two schools are awfully small for a non-athlete boy, but otherwise don’t care. I do care about FA, but NPC work for all

In the next two weeks, do I try to fit in another visit to Williams or Amherst? Or HYP? We’ve been to all these in last couple of years. It’s possible he thinks he doesn’t have a chance at HYP, which he does. But obviously long shot for all. And so are Williams and Amherst.

Or do I just let it play out without stepping in at all. Seems like a big decision, esp the ED.

Your counselor is right.

If they are encouraging you HYP, there is no doubt he is Williams material too.
Plus there is no ED advantage for SLACs. If he gets in ED, he would get in RD also.

High school counselor encouraging a SCEA to HYP. Mostly P

Kid is leaning ED Williams or Amherst. But not decided.

I worry those two schools are awfully small for a non-athlete boy, but otherwise don’t care. I do care about FA, but NPC work for all

In the next two weeks, do I try to fit in another visit to Williams or Amherst? Or HYP? We’ve been to all these in last couple of years. It’s possible he thinks he doesn’t have a chance at HYP, which he does. But obviously long shot for all. And so are Williams and Amherst.

Or do I just let it play out without stepping in at all. Seems like a big decision, esp the ED.