Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What's interesting is that it's only HYPS that do things this way. It's like a cartel. I'm aware that MIT, CalTech, and Notre Dame also do SCEA, but there is not much overlap with applicants. These are the only schools that do SCEA, while very other selective school does ED, which is much simpler and avoids morally ambiguous situations. It's like HYPS are determined to get America's most cutthroat, friendless, amoral, and un-empathetic high school students. It's very self-selective.

MIT is non-restrictive early action, so students can apply EA to MIT and ED to Penn. I know a few kids who did so (accepted at Penn, deferred at MIT).


Caltech, Notre Dame, and Georgetown do early action, not SCEA. Students are allowed to apply to any other schools they like so long as none requires a commitment to attend if accepted (i.e., none is ED rather than EA). I know of students who applied to all four (MIT, Caltech, Georgetown, and Notre Dame) as well as public EA (Michigan, Texas).

I know of several students who applied to

I know several students who applied to MIT, Caltech, and Georgetown (which some of the most confident consider a safety). There are also many Notre Dame / Georgetown double applicants, and a few who applied to all four as well as Michigan and Texas (MIT as the super-reach).

I know kids who did Princeton (or HYS etc) and also Michigan, SUNY, Texas, WI, McGill, Oxford, LSE, etc. It's not very different from kids who do Georgetown/ND and publics. Or MIT/Caltech and publics.

SCEA isn't a lot more restrictive than REA.

I used to dislike all restrictive EA programs which I think give nothing to the student and everything for the school. (there's no bump almost anywhere for REA) But now - with some of these schools getting 10s of thousands of early apps - I consider the EA program at a lot of schools unreliable. Too many apps, not enough time to consider, a lot of deferrals simply because of volume. What used to provide students some early piece of mind is now just adding stress. That system is not holding.

Also, I see a lot of early apps and regular apps and the regular ones are better. More time is better.

I've swung the other way and would like to see more restrictions on early. Like you can apply to one private, one OOS public and as many in-state publics as you'd like. Obviously, schools can't collaborate like this, but it would be a better system. A move back to RD is when you send most of your apps in, but you could get 2-3 in early

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What's interesting is that it's only HYPS that do things this way. It's like a cartel. I'm aware that MIT, CalTech, and Notre Dame also do SCEA, but there is not much overlap with applicants. These are the only schools that do SCEA, while very other selective school does ED, which is much simpler and avoids morally ambiguous situations. It's like HYPS are determined to get America's most cutthroat, friendless, amoral, and un-empathetic high school students. It's very self-selective.

MIT is non-restrictive early action, so students can apply EA to MIT and ED to Penn. I know a few kids who did so (accepted at Penn, deferred at MIT).


Caltech, Notre Dame, and Georgetown do early action, not SCEA. Students are allowed to apply to any other schools they like so long as none requires a commitment to attend if accepted (i.e., none is ED rather than EA). I know of students who applied to all four (MIT, Caltech, Georgetown, and Notre Dame) as well as public EA (Michigan, Texas).

I know of several students who applied to

Caltech is REA now, just fyi.

DC decided the following day not to apply to anymore. Considered it a d**k move as competing with kids at their school.

An alumni parent had this advice - if you apply to others and don’t get in, you will think you got lucky with where you did get in and will have imposter syndrome, a horrible way to enter college.

And if you do get in, it will add confusion and you will feel terrible that you took someone’s chance.

Consider REA and SCEA as ED as be happy you got in.

(Obviously not relevant for FA students)

Anonymous wrote:Is it HYPS that say you can’t apply EA to another private college?

Just wondering if that’s why you don’t apply early to both MIT and Stanford as an example.

SCEA, what Stanford has, means you can't apply early to any other private college. No Stanford/ MIT or Princeton/ Georgetown. That's what the "single" in Single Choice Early Action means.

Is it HYPS that say you can’t apply EA to another private college?

Just wondering if that’s why you don’t apply early to both MIT and Stanford as an example.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What's interesting is that it's only HYPS that do things this way. It's like a cartel. I'm aware that MIT, CalTech, and Notre Dame also do SCEA, but there is not much overlap with applicants. These are the only schools that do SCEA, while very other selective school does ED, which is much simpler and avoids morally ambiguous situations. It's like HYPS are determined to get America's most cutthroat, friendless, amoral, and un-empathetic high school students. It's very self-selective.

MIT is non-restrictive early action, so students can apply EA to MIT and ED to Penn. I know a few kids who did so (accepted at Penn, deferred at MIT).


Caltech, Notre Dame, and Georgetown do early action, not SCEA. Students are allowed to apply to any other schools they like so long as none requires a commitment to attend if accepted (i.e., none is ED rather than EA). I know of students who applied to all four (MIT, Caltech, Georgetown, and Notre Dame) as well as public EA (Michigan, Texas).

I know of several students who applied to

I know several students who applied to MIT, Caltech, and Georgetown (which some of the most confident consider a safety). There are also many Notre Dame / Georgetown double applicants, and a few who applied to all four as well as Michigan and Texas (MIT as the super-reach).

Anonymous wrote:What's interesting is that it's only HYPS that do things this way. It's like a cartel. I'm aware that MIT, CalTech, and Notre Dame also do SCEA, but there is not much overlap with applicants. These are the only schools that do SCEA, while very other selective school does ED, which is much simpler and avoids morally ambiguous situations. It's like HYPS are determined to get America's most cutthroat, friendless, amoral, and un-empathetic high school students. It's very self-selective.

MIT is non-restrictive early action, so students can apply EA to MIT and ED to Penn. I know a few kids who did so (accepted at Penn, deferred at MIT).


Caltech, Notre Dame, and Georgetown do early action, not SCEA. Students are allowed to apply to any other schools they like so long as none requires a commitment to attend if accepted (i.e., none is ED rather than EA). I know of students who applied to all four (MIT, Caltech, Georgetown, and Notre Dame) as well as public EA (Michigan, Texas).

I know of several students who applied to

Anonymous wrote:What's interesting is that it's only HYPS that do things this way. It's like a cartel. I'm aware that MIT, CalTech, and Notre Dame also do SCEA, but there is not much overlap with applicants. These are the only schools that do SCEA, while very other selective school does ED, which is much simpler and avoids morally ambiguous situations. It's like HYPS are determined to get America's most cutthroat, friendless, amoral, and un-empathetic high school students. It's very self-selective.

MIT and CalTech have a ton of overlap. As do Georgetown and ND, also both REA. So not sure your point holds up.

Oh totally disagree. SCEA isn’t binding. It provides no advantage. There’s little reason to game it. No teen regrets it. They can pursue other offers.

Also, can’t imagine anything less cutthroat that getting your HYPS SCEA and then voluntarily not submitting other apps, even though you aren’t bound by anything. And that’s what most kids do. My own kid is in early at HYPS and not submitting other apps. The zooms for these kids are full of students who have already committed.

And if you decide to submit a couple other apps, sure. Even at our school, with a wealthy population, people understand keeping that Stanford acceptance on ice while waiting to see if a Stamps scholarship at ND comes through. We have that quite a lot. The issue is a kid who has Princeton and decides to apply to 10 other schools just for the hell of it.

SCEA is far better than ED. It’s not better than EA though. I wish they left the restrictions off.

What's interesting is that it's only HYPS that do things this way. It's like a cartel. I'm aware that MIT, CalTech, and Notre Dame also do SCEA, but there is not much overlap with applicants. These are the only schools that do SCEA, while very other selective school does ED, which is much simpler and avoids morally ambiguous situations. It's like HYPS are determined to get America's most cutthroat, friendless, amoral, and un-empathetic high school students. It's very self-selective.

There are kids who do it, sparingly, at our high school. like 1-2 more schools. It's done on the downlow, but people know and it seems to be okay w other kids. Not sure about parents.

But we're at a top private in nyc and I've also heard more than once something to the effect of, "It doesn't make sense to cut off this group to get into a better group, when I know this is the most connected group I'll ever be a part of"

From a "it's who you know" standpoint, our high school is Who's Who. People get first jobs nd internships by going to the parents of high school friends, and that includes kids at HYP.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. As previously mentioned, my DC applied to 2 (not 20 or 7 or even 4 - albeit I’m not judging those who did, either, if that’s what made sense for their individual circumstances) schools in RD that they would seriously consider attending over their early, non-binding admit. In our family’s view, they were indeed courteous of their classmates and friends, as they had 8 other RD apps to various T15 schools completed but declined to submit.

Not sure why some PPs feel entitled to more than courtesy. Have you never applied to more than one job and weighed the best offer for you and your family before deciding which to accept?

Just FYI, but your kid's friends will be pissed if your kid really wants to work at Google (tells friends about this), gets an offer from Google...but then says, you know maybe I will see about Meta and Nvidia too.

It is the same concept. Those companies try to spread offers to multiple target schools, so one kid getting all three in theory is taking offers from other kids.

DC’s friends have supported DC’s decision, just as DC has supported theirs. It’s random people who have felt entitled to more than courtesy. There is no “I really want to work at Google but maybe I will see about Meta and Nvidia” - it’s “I have no clear favorite but applied to Google first because there was a tiny advantage in doing so. Google has no issue with me also applying to Meta and Nvidia, and in fact has accounted for the possibility I may decline their offer by extending more offers than available positions and also maintaining a backup list of other applicants.”

Oh, to be a fly on the wall! What a strange combination of cutthroat and naive you are…

Lol, whatever helps you sleep at night. A few of my DC’s friends with early, non-binding admits are also applying to additional schools (that they are seriously considering) in RD. They’re neither entitled nor hypocritical.

I can assure you: people meeting these criteria keep me awake at night; they are the villains of history.

Ah yes, a 17 year old applying to 2 more colleges in RD that they are seriously considering after an early, non-binding admit is a “villain of history”… Right up there with Hitler, yeah?

I am so sorry: I was not clear. People with your characteristics of being both cutthroat and naive keep me up at night. Not your kid; your kid is perfect.

I’m cutthroat because I support my kid’s perfectly warranted and level-headed decision? Talk about naive!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. As previously mentioned, my DC applied to 2 (not 20 or 7 or even 4 - albeit I’m not judging those who did, either, if that’s what made sense for their individual circumstances) schools in RD that they would seriously consider attending over their early, non-binding admit. In our family’s view, they were indeed courteous of their classmates and friends, as they had 8 other RD apps to various T15 schools completed but declined to submit.

Not sure why some PPs feel entitled to more than courtesy. Have you never applied to more than one job and weighed the best offer for you and your family before deciding which to accept?

Just FYI, but your kid's friends will be pissed if your kid really wants to work at Google (tells friends about this), gets an offer from Google...but then says, you know maybe I will see about Meta and Nvidia too.

It is the same concept. Those companies try to spread offers to multiple target schools, so one kid getting all three in theory is taking offers from other kids.

DC’s friends have supported DC’s decision, just as DC has supported theirs. It’s random people who have felt entitled to more than courtesy. There is no “I really want to work at Google but maybe I will see about Meta and Nvidia” - it’s “I have no clear favorite but applied to Google first because there was a tiny advantage in doing so. Google has no issue with me also applying to Meta and Nvidia, and in fact has accounted for the possibility I may decline their offer by extending more offers than available positions and also maintaining a backup list of other applicants.”

Oh, to be a fly on the wall! What a strange combination of cutthroat and naive you are…

Lol, whatever helps you sleep at night. A few of my DC’s friends with early, non-binding admits are also applying to additional schools (that they are seriously considering) in RD. They’re neither entitled nor hypocritical.

I can assure you: people meeting these criteria keep me awake at night; they are the villains of history.

Ah yes, a 17 year old applying to 2 more colleges in RD that they are seriously considering after an early, non-binding admit is a “villain of history”… Right up there with Hitler, yeah?

I am so sorry: I was not clear. People with your characteristics of being both cutthroat and naive keep me up at night. Not your kid; your kid is perfect.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. As previously mentioned, my DC applied to 2 (not 20 or 7 or even 4 - albeit I’m not judging those who did, either, if that’s what made sense for their individual circumstances) schools in RD that they would seriously consider attending over their early, non-binding admit. In our family’s view, they were indeed courteous of their classmates and friends, as they had 8 other RD apps to various T15 schools completed but declined to submit.

Not sure why some PPs feel entitled to more than courtesy. Have you never applied to more than one job and weighed the best offer for you and your family before deciding which to accept?

Just FYI, but your kid's friends will be pissed if your kid really wants to work at Google (tells friends about this), gets an offer from Google...but then says, you know maybe I will see about Meta and Nvidia too.

It is the same concept. Those companies try to spread offers to multiple target schools, so one kid getting all three in theory is taking offers from other kids.

DC’s friends have supported DC’s decision, just as DC has supported theirs. It’s random people who have felt entitled to more than courtesy. There is no “I really want to work at Google but maybe I will see about Meta and Nvidia” - it’s “I have no clear favorite but applied to Google first because there was a tiny advantage in doing so. Google has no issue with me also applying to Meta and Nvidia, and in fact has accounted for the possibility I may decline their offer by extending more offers than available positions and also maintaining a backup list of other applicants.”

Oh, to be a fly on the wall! What a strange combination of cutthroat and naive you are…

Lol, whatever helps you sleep at night. A few of my DC’s friends with early, non-binding admits are also applying to additional schools (that they are seriously considering) in RD. They’re neither entitled nor hypocritical.

I can assure you: people meeting these criteria keep me awake at night; they are the villains of history.

Ah yes, a 17 year old applying to 2 more colleges in RD that they are seriously considering after an early, non-binding admit is a “villain of history”… Right up there with Hitler, yeah?

Anonymous wrote:What do you think a kid should do who was deferred from HYPSM (but didn't have a clear first choice and would've still applied to a few others to also compare FA) and then receives a likely from one of the other HYPSM they applied RD?

This kid has not received an official acceptance, so I would expect them to apply to other schools. Just in case.