Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hijack: for which selective LACs DOES ED provide a serious boost? Specifically, we're interested in Haverford, Carleton, and Wellesley.

Look at the admit rates for ED vs RD, that will be telling

But there are big differences for WASP and people say that's illusory. . . .

Anonymous wrote:Hijack: for which selective LACs DOES ED provide a serious boost? Specifically, we're interested in Haverford, Carleton, and Wellesley.

Look at the admit rates for ED vs RD, that will be telling

Anonymous wrote:Choose based on fit, not DCUM crowdsourcing. My kid visited and didn’t vibe with any of the WASP, but loved Bowdoin and Wesleyan.

Agree, these 4 are excellent but so are others. Fit is really important at LACs. Look for that.

Hijack: for which selective LACs DOES ED provide a serious boost? Specifically, we're interested in Haverford, Carleton, and Wellesley.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would not ED to any unless I'd visited and truly fallen in love. My unhooked kid was accepted to Swat RD. We had visited.junior.year and she really thought she wanted to go. But when we visited for Swatstruck (accepted student day) she realized it was not for her. Polling DCUM is not the way to pick one of these schools

Very helpful reply. Thanks! Do you mind sharing your DD’s stats, what you think was the difference that got her into RD of such a tough-admit school, and why she didn’t like it after accepted student day? Again this is very helpful. Thank you!

DD had low 1500s SAT and a 4.0 unweighted GPA from public school. She's a pretty intellectual kid whose interests go deep and are interdisciplinary, which I think is drew her to Swat and why she got in there. Admitted students day was interesting ... the admitted students wound up eating lunch in the cafeteria with a random Swarthmore student who was not part of the Swatstruck event and who was pretty critical of the school. He complained about it being small and cliquey and told them he wanted to transfer. It depends on your point of view, but it was either the worst possible lunch pairing or maybe it was a blessing in disguise. A lot of what he said underscored some of her concerns about Swarthmore. Ultimately I think Swat was also smaller and more suburban than she wanted, but needless to say, she was not "Swatstruck."

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I loved Amherst when I visited a million years ago, so I'd ED there. Although I didn't see Swarthmore and I think I might have loved it too.

But if I had a kid who had so little opinion on geography etc . . . that they were asking this, I'd have them ED to a SLAC that was also excellent and a little easier to get into. Grinnell or Middlebury or something. (I don't have a kid who wants SLAC so I am not that knowledgeable). Why pick a WASP?

Absolutely. Go down a rung and ED might actually help. (Bowdoin is not down a rung.)

Bowdoin’s stats are nearly identical to Middlebury’s. Biggest difference is that Middlebury is much larger.

Carleton is much easier in RD.
For middlebury, ED is a must.
Bowdoin is much harder even ED.

Anonymous wrote:Subjective comments on Williams and Amherst appear on this page:

https://share.google/FZo8e6AH79BVjgx2c

This page includes comments on Swarthmore:

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/120/1274664.page#30109260

My kid ED'd to Amherst. It happens to have the highest ED/RD advantage of the WASPS in recent years (29% to 8% acceptance rate), thought that wasn't a major factor for us:

https://www.collegekickstart.com/blog/item/early-decision-schools-that-double-admission-odds

We were unhooked, non-athlete from central VA - 4.0 GPA, SAT 750/750. Friend who is a college counselor estimated the acceptance rate for unhooked ED cohort was around 15% - significantly higher than the RD acceptance rate.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I loved Amherst when I visited a million years ago, so I'd ED there. Although I didn't see Swarthmore and I think I might have loved it too.

But if I had a kid who had so little opinion on geography etc . . . that they were asking this, I'd have them ED to a SLAC that was also excellent and a little easier to get into. Grinnell or Middlebury or something. (I don't have a kid who wants SLAC so I am not that knowledgeable). Why pick a WASP?

Absolutely. Go down a rung and ED might actually help. (Bowdoin is not down a rung.)

Bowdoin’s stats are nearly identical to Middlebury’s. Biggest difference is that Middlebury is much larger.

Question - is OP referring to WASP as in this throwback thread?
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/332088.page

WASP doesn’t mean low acceptance rate.

Does she mean T20 slac with prep vibe?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Enthusiastic Williams grad but I thought Middlebury and Wesleyan were better fits for my kid within the NESCAC along with Davidson and Carleton. Don’t get blinded by the WASP label. Focus on the fit.

Wes parent of recent grad - DC had ok experience but nothing special. 1000% not worth being full pay - WASP only options for youngest, Wes just not enough bang for the buck - very mid-level school imo

There is no ‘WASP fairy’ that guarantees your kid an amazing experience. Every college can be amazing or mid depending on the kid. It is what they make of it.

Anonymous wrote:I loved Amherst when I visited a million years ago, so I'd ED there. Although I didn't see Swarthmore and I think I might have loved it too.

But if I had a kid who had so little opinion on geography etc . . . that they were asking this, I'd have them ED to a SLAC that was also excellent and a little easier to get into. Grinnell or Middlebury or something. (I don't have a kid who wants SLAC so I am not that knowledgeable). Why pick a WASP?

Absolutely. Go down a rung and ED might actually help. (Bowdoin is not down a rung.)

Anonymous wrote:I would never apply ED to a LAC. Too few non-athlete/non-FGLI seats left for unhooked.

Better off EDing to something that's at least mid-sized (U Chicago, WashU, Vandy, Cornell, Emory, etc.)

unless you want a small school and have zero interest in U Chicago, WashU, Vandy, Cornell, Emory, etc.

Anonymous wrote:They all have super low acceptance rates, I get it! But you have to at least take a shot to have a chance. If you’re in the fortunate position to ED and full pay, which among these four would you choose to ED? Please share rationale: e.g. which one you like most for your DC (and why), ED odds, etc.

If you’ve BTDT and have additional ED vs ED2 vs RD strategy for these schools, that’s even better. TIA

This is a troll post. A real student would have major and lifestyle preferences. Full pay is irrelevant at ED round (ED itself signals full pay and they are need blind anyhow).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would never apply ED to a LAC. Too few non-athlete/non-FGLI seats left for unhooked.

Better off EDing to something that's at least mid-sized (U Chicago, WashU, Vandy, Cornell, Emory, etc.)

This. This. This.

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