The tippy top kids dont do ED. But if you are not like the top 2-3% of a highly competitive HS, not just in GPA and scores, but also in EC's, then ED is a way to get a better shot at a T20.

OP said that DC is in a magnet school, the description sounds like DC is not one of the top tier HYPSM kids or even the Penn/Columbia/Duke kids. I think the top kids at a magnet absolutely should "shoot your shot". Yale? Perhaps not. Penn/Columbia/Duke are realistic.

Rounds of EDs at Chicago are designed for kids who are not quite in the top tier, but want an ivy-like education anyway. OP's DC doesn't sound regretting about his decision. DC may be at the cusp of Cornell if RDed, but that essentially is in the same level as Chicago, and DC didn't like the location any way.

Anonymous wrote:People are gaslighiting.

UChicago has its own private police force for a reason.

Students literally get mugged at gunpoint there. Your kid messed up. If he could have gotten into any of the Ivies he would be better off.

Safety wise that is.

That private police force can’t prevent students from being robbed at gunpoint, so the best move is not to attend Chicago at all.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC was/is a high achiever with strong (not mind-blowing ECs). Feeder magnet public. He/we got psyched out by all the chatter about kids getting screwed, and became fixed on doing ED at Chicago. Fast-forward, all his friends with similar profiles got into excellent schools- not everyone got into an Ivy, but I can only think of one kid who got "screwed" (and maybe he'll get off a waitlist in the next 6 weeks, who knows). DC should have held out instead of compromising with ED! Wish I'd tried harder to talk him out of it. Chicago is obviously not a terrible school, but the quarter system sucks, it's in a horrible neighborhood, and it's stressful. I feel certain he would have had East Coast options if he'd waited. So, rising senior parent, learn the lesson from us.

So the lesson is ED to a school you actually like. This is a you problem.

Your child should of course not ED a school they don't like. There is nothing in OP's post to suggest her child did not like Chicago. It does sound like he would have preferred Yale but was not a realistic candidate for Yale. Personally I think it's better to recognize your child's level and make plans accordingly. Of the kids we knew who did not do well in the process, the "shoot your shot" mentality was almost always the culprit.

+1. And I know several people who went into this with the “shoot your shot mentality” who ended up at their 6th or 7th choice after being shut out from the more selective or “preferred” schools in ED 1, ED II and RD. Lesson learned- find lower-ranked schools that your kids likes because even ED can be unpredictable.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC was/is a high achiever with strong (not mind-blowing ECs). Feeder magnet public. He/we got psyched out by all the chatter about kids getting screwed, and became fixed on doing ED at Chicago. Fast-forward, all his friends with similar profiles got into excellent schools- not everyone got into an Ivy, but I can only think of one kid who got "screwed" (and maybe he'll get off a waitlist in the next 6 weeks, who knows). DC should have held out instead of compromising with ED! Wish I'd tried harder to talk him out of it. Chicago is obviously not a terrible school, but the quarter system sucks, it's in a horrible neighborhood, and it's stressful. I feel certain he would have had East Coast options if he'd waited. So, rising senior parent, learn the lesson from us.

So the lesson is ED to a school you actually like. This is a you problem.

Your child should of course not ED a school they don't like. There is nothing in OP's post to suggest her child did not like Chicago. It does sound like he would have preferred Yale but was not a realistic candidate for Yale. Personally I think it's better to recognize your child's level and make plans accordingly. Of the kids we knew who did not do well in the process, the "shoot your shot" mentality was almost always the culprit.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC was/is a high achiever with strong (not mind-blowing ECs). Feeder magnet public. He/we got psyched out by all the chatter about kids getting screwed, and became fixed on doing ED at Chicago. Fast-forward, all his friends with similar profiles got into excellent schools- not everyone got into an Ivy, but I can only think of one kid who got "screwed" (and maybe he'll get off a waitlist in the next 6 weeks, who knows). DC should have held out instead of compromising with ED! Wish I'd tried harder to talk him out of it. Chicago is obviously not a terrible school, but the quarter system sucks, it's in a horrible neighborhood, and it's stressful. I feel certain he would have had East Coast options if he'd waited. So, rising senior parent, learn the lesson from us.

So the lesson is ED to a school you actually like. This is a you problem.

So the lesson is that the son obviously warmed up to UChicago and was satisfied with his ED admission while pushy domineering parent did not get their way.

Anonymous wrote:DC was/is a high achiever with strong (not mind-blowing ECs). Feeder magnet public. He/we got psyched out by all the chatter about kids getting screwed, and became fixed on doing ED at Chicago. Fast-forward, all his friends with similar profiles got into excellent schools- not everyone got into an Ivy, but I can only think of one kid who got "screwed" (and maybe he'll get off a waitlist in the next 6 weeks, who knows). DC should have held out instead of compromising with ED! Wish I'd tried harder to talk him out of it. Chicago is obviously not a terrible school, but the quarter system sucks, it's in a horrible neighborhood, and it's stressful. I feel certain he would have had East Coast options if he'd waited. So, rising senior parent, learn the lesson from us.

So the lesson is ED to a school you actually like. This is a you problem.

“Anonymous wrote:

Yale should not even be in the discussion, since you live on campus all 4 years. You live off campus 2 years at Chicago and, no, you don’t live on the obama’s mansion street. It’s doable but sketchy. Let’s not pretend.“

More gaslighting by commenters that have NO facts about UChicago’s very livable and eclectic Hyde Park Kenwood neighborhood. None. And, “no, you don’t live on obama’s mansion street.” The Obama’s are a prime example of all income levels and races living side-by-side in diverse Hyde Park Kenwood. The Obama family when he was state senator lived in their 5300 square foot mansion a stone’s throw, literally a couple hundred feet, from working class and STUDENT 4 story walk-up apartments built in the 1920’s. Michelle worked for UChicago and their daughters attended UChicago Lab School just like thousands of other UChicago faculty and staff. Their home was also across the street from a thriving synagogue as well. That is diverse and far from “sketchy” Hyde Park Kenwood. Fact.

Anonymous wrote:People are gaslighiting.

UChicago has its own private police force for a reason.

Students literally get mugged at gunpoint there. Your kid messed up. If he could have gotten into any of the Ivies he would be better off.

Safety wise that is.

Hhhmmm…gaslighting…like YOU. UPenn has a private police force of 121 officers.

https://www.publicsafety.upenn.edu/about/uppd/

UChicago has a large private police force as well. Also, fact that the majority of UChicago faculty live and raise their families in the adjoining neighborhoods of Hyde Park Kenwood UNLIKE most Penn faculty who do not live close by Penn. Is street smarts needed on elite urban university campuses like Penn, UChicago, Columbia, NYU, USC and Johns Hopkins? Sure. But Hyde Park Kenwood is very livable as UChicago faculty and familes residing there know very well. So your fear gaslighting about UChicago is a pile of manure.

My DS regrets applying ED to a LAC due to fear of being frozen out by ivies and other top schools in regular rounds. I guess the real lesson is "never ED to any school that is not your clear #1".

If you'd prefer 1-2 reaches over your ED school, and you're only applying ED to your 3rd - 5th pick because it's easier, you will have 2nd thoughts. Don't do it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Erm, Hyde Park is not a “crappy area”. Have you even been to Chicago?

This all day. People who $hit on UChicago location go on to talk about UPenn or Yale without batting an eye. Have you been to UPenn campus or Philadelphia? Or New Haven? Try getting on SEPTA. I’d take Hyde Park any day over Philadelphia. I swear the majority of these asinine comments are from people who never set a foot in Hyde Park.

Penn>Yale>UChicago for safety

We actually felt safer visiting UChicago than Yale. Penn felt fine, but DC did not like the campus or the vibe.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Erm, Hyde Park is not a “crappy area”. Have you even been to Chicago?

This all day. People who $hit on UChicago location go on to talk about UPenn or Yale without batting an eye. Have you been to UPenn campus or Philadelphia? Or New Haven? Try getting on SEPTA. I’d take Hyde Park any day over Philadelphia. I swear the majority of these asinine comments are from people who never set a foot in Hyde Park.

Penn>Yale>UChicago for safety

Yale should not even be in the discussion, since you live on campus all 4 years. You live off campus 2 years at Chicago and, no, you don’t live on the obama’s mansion street. It’s doable but sketchy. Let’s not pretend.

At UChicago, you can be on campus all 4 years, if that’s what you want.

To each his own…one concern I have about ED is the top kids who “under shoot” and ED to a less selective school, out of fear of being shut out in RD, and then have regrets over not aiming higher. As a family we agonized over ED, but our kid just didn’t have one college that was a clear top choice. So they risked the RD pool, and ended up with some good choices outside the T-20.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Erm, Hyde Park is not a “crappy area”. Have you even been to Chicago?

This all day. People who $hit on UChicago location go on to talk about UPenn or Yale without batting an eye. Have you been to UPenn campus or Philadelphia? Or New Haven? Try getting on SEPTA. I’d take Hyde Park any day over Philadelphia. I swear the majority of these asinine comments are from people who never set a foot in Hyde Park.

Penn>Yale>UChicago for safety

Yale should not even be in the discussion, since you live on campus all 4 years. You live off campus 2 years at Chicago and, no, you don’t live on the obama’s mansion street. It’s doable but sketchy. Let’s not pretend.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Erm, Hyde Park is not a “crappy area”. Have you even been to Chicago?

This all day. People who $hit on UChicago location go on to talk about UPenn or Yale without batting an eye. Have you been to UPenn campus or Philadelphia? Or New Haven? Try getting on SEPTA. I’d take Hyde Park any day over Philadelphia. I swear the majority of these asinine comments are from people who never set a foot in Hyde Park.

Penn>Yale>UChicago for safety