https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/10/us/politics/justice-department-probe-college-early-decision.html

In 2016, Amherst’s dean of admissions told U.S. News that the college and about 30 others shared lists of students admitted through early decision, and that she would also be open to sharing the names of students who chose not to attend and for what reasons.

A dean of admissions for a liberal arts college in New England told the Wall Street Journal that their school shares applicant information - including their name, home state and application-identification number - with 20 other schools that offer early decision.

When an applicant applies to more than one school early decision, one of the schools will withdraw the student's application, the dean told the Wall Street Journal.

https://www.masslive.com/news/2018/04/amherst_williams_colleges_unde.html

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know of someone who broke it. That school put the word out and other schools revoked their offers. Kid did their first year at the local community college.

Didn't happen. No way the colleges are organized enough or willing to spend the time to contact the other schools.

Oh, but it did happen and DOJ opened an investigation a few years ago. Probably nothing happening with DOJ at this point, but the colleges were warned.

https://www.gazettenet.com/amherst-college-is-part-of-federal-probe-16803518

dean of admission and financial aid at Amherst College — in a 2016 U.S. & World News Report article titled

“[Fretwell] says her school and about 30 other colleges share lists of students admitted through early decision,” that article reads. “And Fretwell says she’d likely also share the names of students who were admitted via early decision, but who are not attending for financial aid and other reasons.”

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So much speculation. The ethics brigade would like it to be true that the school or student faces repercussions for backing out of an ED. This is not the case. Everyone we know that has backed out of ED acceptances for a better school have done so successfully. I’ve never heard of any school tell a student they shouldn’t apply ED to a school because a kid backed out the year before. I’ve never seen a school refuse to release a transcript.

I don't think you understand ethics. It's not about repercussions, it's about integrity. Get some.

Don't lie and make your counselor lie on an ED agreement if you don't intend to abide.

It's a business deal, one of the largest ones that most people will ever make on their own behalf. People back out of deals all for better deals all the time. Fortunately there is a contract in place and the aggrevied party is free to exercise rights under the contract. That's the remedy. They don't because everyone involved knows the contracts are worthless.

+1. And colleges will never sue to enforce an ED agreement. Because they don’t want an adverse ruling. Which thy probably would get.

They don’t need to sue, they can just inform the other school. Acceptances get rescinded with frequency these days for many reasons. And they can also punish the high school by blackballing them for a few cycles,

If I’m a kid with the option to head to a T10, why do I care that my former school is being blackballed? It’s colleges punishing the wrong people.

And how many acceptances get rescinded for ED violations? I’ve seen several ED violations. Never seen a rescission. Sounds like an urban legend to me.

Some people care about how their actions affect others and try not to do purely self-interested things that are likely to have bad outcomes for other people.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know of someone who broke it. That school put the word out and other schools revoked their offers. Kid did their first year at the local community college.

Didn't happen. No way the colleges are organized enough or willing to spend the time to contact the other schools.

Admissions deans at top schools know each other. It’s a simple phone call. Not sure why people are so convinced it doesn’t happen.

Anonymous wrote:I know of someone who broke it. That school put the word out and other schools revoked their offers. Kid did their first year at the local community college.

Didn't happen. No way the colleges are organized enough or willing to spend the time to contact the other schools.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Make ED illegal. Vast majority of parents who have gone through admissions would support this. And yet Congress remains feckless…thanks DC.

Who are these "vast majority of parents"? I certainly am not, with 2 ED admits which made the whole process much easier.

ED admittedly helps the school more than the kids but it does help them if they know their first choice. It's the best way to show demonstrated interest. If it is a clear first choice, and you have run the NPC and can afford the school, there is no risk and only gain to apply ED.

It helps rich families most of all.

We’re a middle-income family and we would never be able to let our kid apply ED because finances are always going to be a top consideration for us. And so schools that fill most of their incoming class with kids who applied ED—even schools that are otherwise a fit—are probably off the table for our kid.

I realize this is obvious to a lot of parents. But I explained it to a wealthy friend the other day whose three kids all applied ED and she genuinely appeared to have never considered it.

Anonymous wrote:Make ED illegal. Vast majority of parents who have gone through admissions would support this. And yet Congress remains feckless…thanks DC.

Who are these "vast majority of parents"? I certainly am not, with 2 ED admits which made the whole process much easier.

ED admittedly helps the school more than the kids but it does help them if they know their first choice. It's the best way to show demonstrated interest. If it is a clear first choice, and you have run the NPC and can afford the school, there is no risk and only gain to apply ED.

DC’s private had a case a few years ago where a kid was accepted into a t10 via ED. Everyone knew about the school and the ED acceptance. However in the Spring, the kid started sporting gear with from another, higher ranking T10 school. The kid even updated social media w the new T10 acceptance. DC came home w the story and the only thing we can deduce is that kid didn’t honor the ED agreement.

At graduation, a different school (T75-T100) was listed under that kid’s name as the attending school. My guess is that the ED school sent word around and the kid had to find a new “home”.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So much speculation. The ethics brigade would like it to be true that the school or student faces repercussions for backing out of an ED. This is not the case. Everyone we know that has backed out of ED acceptances for a better school have done so successfully. I’ve never heard of any school tell a student they shouldn’t apply ED to a school because a kid backed out the year before. I’ve never seen a school refuse to release a transcript.

I don't think you understand ethics. It's not about repercussions, it's about integrity. Get some.

Don't lie and make your counselor lie on an ED agreement if you don't intend to abide.

It's a business deal, one of the largest ones that most people will ever make on their own behalf. People back out of deals all for better deals all the time. Fortunately there is a contract in place and the aggrevied party is free to exercise rights under the contract. That's the remedy. They don't because everyone involved knows the contracts are worthless.

You really don't understand ethics.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:the ED agreement is not an actual contract and has no backlash if broken. It's a shitty thing to do ethically except for financial reasons, but I give two shits about colleges who employ ED and have a dozen kids back out.

Ron Lieber has asked people/high schools several times in print and in media to come forward with even one black ball story and has never gotten even one legit one.

It's not just the colleges you are affecting though--it's other students.

No it’s not a shitty thing to do and the whole entire process is stupid. If you decide not to attend the schools have plenty of students who will want to take their place so they don’t even need to get kids to commit early.

Yes, it is. And another kid with integrity, who did not commit dubiously, did not get in ED because your poser cheated their way in by lying. Also, what about the counselor's and school's rep and students? That precedent could suggest this school doesn’t communicate the meaning of binding agreement or doesn’t encourage students to abide by it. Also, you encourage your kid that lying is just fine if it gets them a nose ahead.

You can always back out if your financial situation changes.

You can do it for financial hardship.

But please Don’t teach your kid to go back on a contract lightly.

(I have heard it can hurt the high school moving forward)

Make ED illegal. Vast majority of parents who have gone through admissions would support this. And yet Congress remains feckless…thanks DC.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So much speculation. The ethics brigade would like it to be true that the school or student faces repercussions for backing out of an ED. This is not the case. Everyone we know that has backed out of ED acceptances for a better school have done so successfully. I’ve never heard of any school tell a student they shouldn’t apply ED to a school because a kid backed out the year before. I’ve never seen a school refuse to release a transcript.

I don't think you understand ethics. It's not about repercussions, it's about integrity. Get some.

Don't lie and make your counselor lie on an ED agreement if you don't intend to abide.

It's a business deal, one of the largest ones that most people will ever make on their own behalf. People back out of deals all for better deals all the time. Fortunately there is a contract in place and the aggrevied party is free to exercise rights under the contract. That's the remedy. They don't because everyone involved knows the contracts are worthless.

+1. And colleges will never sue to enforce an ED agreement. Because they don’t want an adverse ruling. Which thy probably would get.

They don’t need to sue, they can just inform the other school. Acceptances get rescinded with frequency these days for many reasons. And they can also punish the high school by blackballing them for a few cycles,

If I’m a kid with the option to head to a T10, why do I care that my former school is being blackballed? It’s colleges punishing the wrong people.

And how many acceptances get rescinded for ED violations? I’ve seen several ED violations. Never seen a rescission. Sounds like an urban legend to me.