I think they are both gambles in different ways, but from my experience last cycle, the idea that ED is easier and RD harder might be out of date.

Anonymous wrote:Do the research. She will have to make a choice by May either way, so do the research now, and see if she can find enough info to make the choice earlier. If not, than no ED. She sounds like a viable candidate for top tier schools that will offer her flexibility. But, as others have said, if she isn't sure, don't ED. ED is only a small bump for Ivies considering recruited athletes and priority admits anyway, but much more significant for say Tufts or WashU, and particularly UChicago.

--IEC who helps a lot of kids w/ T20 admits

We were recently on a Tufts tour and they said their ED rate is same as RD rate -11%

Both of my kids did ED. Both were admitted and attend T20 schools now. They were both very strong students who had a realistic shot everywhere. We toured a number of schools. One had a clear favorite. So it was an easy choice. The other could see himself at a number of schools, but since he had an incredibly competitive major - engineering - he decided to be strategic with ED and use it a school where it was a clear bump.

No regrets. We needed financial aid for two kids attending at the same time. So we did the NPC before applying and found the numbers manageable.

The only minor downside is that if applying early, an unhooked student has to take HYPSM off their list. It’s pointless to apply ED/SCEA to these schools if unhooked. And since we needed aid, we couldn’t do OOS publics. This only affected the engineering kid. But it meant he never applied to MIT, Stanford or Georgia Tech. Fortunately, he’s very happy at his school and hasn’t spent a minute considering what ifs. So overall it worked out well.

But in an ideal world, ED wouldn’t exist and apps would be limited to 10 schools. That would make everything much simpler.

Anonymous wrote:Only ED if it’s the definite first choice. DC is super torn between two favorites — one is a safety, and one is a high target/reach with a clear ED boost. Still doesn’t want ED to it because also loves the other school and just can’t decide between them yet. And that’s ok.

+1 DD was in the same position. Got waitlisted at the reach after applying regular decision. Ended up at the safety and it's been a great fit.

Anonymous wrote:I don’t really buy the ‘only Ed if it’s your absolute first choice.’ If there are two or three schools your kid would be thrilled to go to, great to ED to one to improve odds

That only works if the kid is willing to let the decision be made for them if they get in. Mine isn’t, for example. Wants more time to make the decision for themself, and is ok with risking not getting into the more reach-y school without an ED boost.

Others may be too torn to decide between two reaches about which to ED to, or want to see how the financials come in to help make a decision.

It’s fine if none of that matters and your kid can eeny-meeny and pick which of their top 2-3 choices to ED to (or choose the toughest admit or however they decide), but I think that scenario is less common.

Anonymous wrote:I don’t really buy the ‘only Ed if it’s your absolute first choice.’ If there are two or three schools your kid would be thrilled to go to, great to ED to one to improve odds

Sure, but OP's description doesn't really even indicate a tight choice between a couple schools they'd be "thrilled" to go to, much less a preferred direction or course of study.

This kid has earned the right to be in control of the process. Don’t give it up by ed’ing.

All of the H/P/Y admits at our private the last few cycles have been SCEA. Other schools more mixed but the number of admits to the most selective schools have been skewed towards early admissions. I will say I was surprised by the number of top space Slac admissions RD this cycle in particular

Do the research. She will have to make a choice by May either way, so do the research now, and see if she can find enough info to make the choice earlier. If not, than no ED. She sounds like a viable candidate for top tier schools that will offer her flexibility. But, as others have said, if she isn't sure, don't ED. ED is only a small bump for Ivies considering recruited athletes and priority admits anyway, but much more significant for say Tufts or WashU, and particularly UChicago.

--IEC who helps a lot of kids w/ T20 admits

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD has high stats (perfect SAT, 4.0 gpa, highest rigor across STEM and Humanities at her high school). She has a few writing awards. She also has an unusual science passion that translated to a prestigious (not pay to play) internship, which might pique the interest of universities. She's been doing an artistic extra curricular since she was little and has measurable third party indicators of progress, and some community involvement relating to it, but nothing flashy or on a large scale, apart from her years of dedication. The atypical scientific spike is probably what sets her apart, because it's not the usual STEM suspects. On the other hand, she's not sure that's what she wants to do all her life, so she would like to hedge and attend a university where she can switch majors.

At that level, how do you decide whether to ED at a school where ED significantly improves one's chances of admission... or gamble on other reaches in the hope that one of them comes through? If she had a preference for one of those ED schools, it would be easy, but she doesn't, and some of these schools lock you into a path.

Is her high school rigorous and has it sent top kids to the schools she is considering ED/REA? If the school sends top kids to top places, do not ED anywhere, and instead do SCEA or REA at her favorite ivy type and RD everywhere else.

Your advice about high schools that send top kids to top places is on point, but let’s be real: a kid who pops a 1600 from a high school that does not routinely send top kids to top places is getting in absolutely everywhere. This is the kind of kid who should always do SCEA/REA/RD.

I don’t really buy the ‘only Ed if it’s your absolute first choice.’ If there are two or three schools your kid would be thrilled to go to, great to ED to one to improve odds

Anonymous wrote:DD has high stats (perfect SAT, 4.0 gpa, highest rigor across STEM and Humanities at her high school). She has a few writing awards. She also has an unusual science passion that translated to a prestigious (not pay to play) internship, which might pique the interest of universities. She's been doing an artistic extra curricular since she was little and has measurable third party indicators of progress, and some community involvement relating to it, but nothing flashy or on a large scale, apart from her years of dedication. The atypical scientific spike is probably what sets her apart, because it's not the usual STEM suspects. On the other hand, she's not sure that's what she wants to do all her life, so she would like to hedge and attend a university where she can switch majors.

At that level, how do you decide whether to ED at a school where ED significantly improves one's chances of admission... or gamble on other reaches in the hope that one of them comes through? If she had a preference for one of those ED schools, it would be easy, but she doesn't, and some of these schools lock you into a path.

Is her high school rigorous and has it sent top kids to the schools she is considering ED/REA? If the school sends top kids to top places, do not ED anywhere, and instead do SCEA or REA at her favorite ivy type and RD everywhere else.

I think the big gamble would be ED-ing to a school that wasn't your clear top choice.

Anonymous wrote:OP’s kid is a pretty impressive applicant and has no true favorite. If she’s comfortable writing a lot of essays, I would gamble.

This.
Impressive stats. EA everywhere.

My kid saw a bunch of colleges but didn’t like any of the ones that offered ED enough to do ED. Chose to gamble and accepted RD at a T-25 that relies heavily on ED. Sometimes the kids have to go with their gut, be honest with themselves, prepare for the worst and hope for the best. It is what it is and the only way to have any semblance of control over the outcome is to apply to a range of schools re:selectivity and have a safety/likely they would be happy attending.