Anonymous wrote:I agree with OP.

Make sure to ask your kid if their ED choice is their absolute #1 choice. If not, don't do it.

We also got psyched out and my DS applied ED to Tufts and got in. It's a great school BUT it wasn't his #1 or #2 and he has regrets. And a couple of his friends with similar profiles got in RD and/or on the waiting list. And they were able to choose between several options.

With our DD we are going to only encourage her to apply ED to her absolute #1.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ED works if your kid is confident about their preferences. My son had 3 pretty equal favorites out of 11 applications, two East Coast non-Ivy, low admission rate privates and one UC. He applied ED1 to one of the privates, got deferred, applied ED2 to the other one, got accepted.

He's pleased with the outcome.

OP: This was my DC's exact thinking. 3 pretty equal favorites, but only one (Chicago) where ED would matter. In his mind, it made perfect sense to choose it. I felt ok about it at the time but (my bad) did not do enough research into Chicago's location and shady admissions practices. I wish he was headed to one of the other 2 faves which were both on the east coast. Or another east coast school a little further down his list. I feel like if he'd had the chance to make a choice in the spring, without the pressure of acceptances hanging over his head, he would have seen things differently.

Your kid likes Chicago, ED’d to Chicago, got accepted to Chicago. The only problem here is your attitude to Chicago, not ED.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ED works if your kid is confident about their preferences. My son had 3 pretty equal favorites out of 11 applications, two East Coast non-Ivy, low admission rate privates and one UC. He applied ED1 to one of the privates, got deferred, applied ED2 to the other one, got accepted.

He's pleased with the outcome.

OP: This was my DC's exact thinking. 3 pretty equal favorites, but only one (Chicago) where ED would matter. In his mind, it made perfect sense to choose it. I felt ok about it at the time but (my bad) did not do enough research into Chicago's location and shady admissions practices. I wish he was headed to one of the other 2 faves which were both on the east coast. Or another east coast school a little further down his list. I feel like if he'd had the chance to make a choice in the spring, without the pressure of acceptances hanging over his head, he would have seen things differently.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ED works if your kid is confident about their preferences. My son had 3 pretty equal favorites out of 11 applications, two East Coast non-Ivy, low admission rate privates and one UC. He applied ED1 to one of the privates, got deferred, applied ED2 to the other one, got accepted.

He's pleased with the outcome.

OP: This was my DC's exact thinking. 3 pretty equal favorites, but only one (Chicago) where ED would matter. In his mind, it made perfect sense to choose it. I felt ok about it at the time but (my bad) did not do enough research into Chicago's location and shady admissions practices. I wish he was headed to one of the other 2 faves which were both on the east coast. Or another east coast school a little further down his list. I feel like if he'd had the chance to make a choice in the spring, without the pressure of acceptances hanging over his head, he would have seen things differently.

I'm poster with the kid who favored 3 schools. We always want what is best for our kids, but it sounds like your son made a good ED decision and is happy with Chicago. If so, please embrace it, and avoid generating doubt. Once he arrives, both of you will appreciate the opportunities available to him. He will also learn how to navigate his way around the nearby neighborhoods and the big city, like my son and many others have done in similar situations. Think of your son as unique with his own path that doesn't involve comparing him to other kids you know. He approached his college decision in a mature way and will no doubt make future decisions in college this way as well. That's more important than the school he will attend, especially given the granular differences between Chicago and the other 2 schools he preferred.