Anonymous wrote:Congrats to a life of debt.

Ain't that right! No, actually, we did ok. We started with no student debt ourselves and so we saved aggressively for college for the kids after saving even more aggressively for our own retirement. We are solidly middle class according to DCUM and perhaps on the affluent side in the rest of the country.

Anonymous wrote:Congrats to a life of debt.

Spending your days putting lumps of coal in everyone's stocking, are you? No way to live, my friend.

Early decision is binding and to only 1 school.

Early Action is non-binding and there is no limit.

Congrats to a life of debt.

Anonymous wrote:Congrats and a question, How many colleges can one apply for Early Action.

OP here.

Early decision is for applying to just 1 school and you HAVE to go there if you are accepted. One student from DC's HS got into Yale in early decision and then did not go because of the tuition. Yale informed other schools about this student and also the HS. We were told by the counselor to only do Early Decision if 1) It was the dream school and 2) if you could afford the cost even without any financial aid.

Early Action is to as many schools as you want. My DC applied in the top 2 schools on the DC's list and a state public school. Heard a yes from #2 and state school. Haven't heard from #1 choice yet. My advice to everyone would be to also apply to all of your state public schools as part of early action. They have a quota for in-state student and you want to get in ASAP. You can always decline the invitation if you want. California schools deadline for Early Action is almost a month earlier than rest of the nation, so watch out for that.

At this point - there is no reason to apply to other schools for DC. Out of the 9 schools still left to apply to, we will cull the list to only reach schools now (not match or safety anymore) - so possibly 3 or 4.

Frankly, I think DC is applying to satisfy ego - because even if DC gets in in the reach schools - for a variety of reasons (strategy, finances, unique opportunities) the choice will always be #1 or # 2 schools. Still DC is from a very competitive magnet HS and wants the satisfaction of knowing either way if the reach schools are a possibility. And since the stress is no longer there, we are approaching the rest of application process with a casualness that I never thought was possible at the beginning of HS.

10-12 is reasonable, here's why: DD applied to 10, admitted to 6. DD's list completely re-ordered once decisions were in - based on cost. Some gave generous merit aid, some none, some didn't accept her. The 6 schools she was admitted to started out within $2-4K/yr from each other - but what ended up happening with merit aid - was a spread of $65,000 over four yrs.

Anonymous wrote:That's great, but .... 12 schools? That seems a little much, no?

not really

Congrats and a question, How many colleges can one apply for Early Action.

That's great, but .... 12 schools? That seems a little much, no?

Congrats! A great feeling!

Congrats

I hope to be in your shoes one day. Congrats!!

Great!

Congrats! That IS a relief!

Applied to 3 schools for early action. Accepted into 2 as of now. No news from the 3rd one yet. Applying to 9 more schools - some of them are reach but now the pressure is completely off. DC has decided not to share with anyone else yet.