A lot of admission consultants are also calling it an "informal ED3" or "ED3 type" when the school asks the school-based counselor or student in advance of making the offer if the kid is 100% committed to accepting. If the counselor/student say yes, the student gets an acceptance in their portal that they are expected to accept. If a school-based counselor or student leads a college to believe they're 100% in and they're not and they don't end up accepting, it could hurt the credibility of the school with that college the following year.

Princeton now moving

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The people saying ED3 are trying to make themselves seem knowledgeable. I’m going to guess the they have never actually worked in an admissions office and aren’t familiar with this very common practice of calling before making an offer. This has been the norm at many schools for decades.

If a counselor using that term actually had experience in or relationships with people in admissions offices, they’d be better at their job. Their job is to dial down the pressure, not contribute to it.

You can verbally say you’d love an officer and decline it later. They’re trying to move fast and get to the kids who are still interested, though.

This exactly. It's not binding. It is a bullying tactic. My kid was prepared to say yes, and then take the time to enroll (visit school etc.). Hasn't been offered, but that is our plan if she does get that kind of call.

That isn't the way the waitlist works. It isn't the school's fault you didn't do your due diligence earlier.

PP here. My kid is on one waitlist at a school that has indicated they would have a week to decide if offered a spot. So no, no need to spend time and money on a visit.

They rightly want to lock things down and get started on next year’s class. It makes sense to give a short turnaround. If you remain on the WL you are basically saying you want them so you shouldn’t need more than 24 hours to decide. Period. My kid got off an Ivy WL in a prior year and accepted on the spot. It’s true it’s not binding because you didn’t sign an ED contract so it’s not ED3, it’s a typical WL offer.

For yield obsessed schools they contact before offer with short reply. For other schools usually you just an email update with a week to decide.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The people saying ED3 are trying to make themselves seem knowledgeable. I’m going to guess the they have never actually worked in an admissions office and aren’t familiar with this very common practice of calling before making an offer. This has been the norm at many schools for decades.

If a counselor using that term actually had experience in or relationships with people in admissions offices, they’d be better at their job. Their job is to dial down the pressure, not contribute to it.

You can verbally say you’d love an officer and decline it later. They’re trying to move fast and get to the kids who are still interested, though.

This exactly. It's not binding. It is a bullying tactic. My kid was prepared to say yes, and then take the time to enroll (visit school etc.). Hasn't been offered, but that is our plan if she does get that kind of call.

That isn't the way the waitlist works. It isn't the school's fault you didn't do your due diligence earlier.

You typically are only given a short window to decide. Visits are often out of the question at that point. Sometimes 24 hours.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The people saying ED3 are trying to make themselves seem knowledgeable. I’m going to guess the they have never actually worked in an admissions office and aren’t familiar with this very common practice of calling before making an offer. This has been the norm at many schools for decades.

If a counselor using that term actually had experience in or relationships with people in admissions offices, they’d be better at their job. Their job is to dial down the pressure, not contribute to it.

You can verbally say you’d love an officer and decline it later. They’re trying to move fast and get to the kids who are still interested, though.

This exactly. It's not binding. It is a bullying tactic. My kid was prepared to say yes, and then take the time to enroll (visit school etc.). Hasn't been offered, but that is our plan if she does get that kind of call.

That isn't the way the waitlist works. It isn't the school's fault you didn't do your due diligence earlier.

Anonymous wrote:Getting off waitlist is as random as you can get. I always think of the student at Marjory Stoneham who was rejected/waitlisted from Harvard but then was admitted after the shooting because of his unique experience.

What a bizarre comment.

Getting off waitlist is as random as you can get. I always think of the student at Marjory Stoneham who was rejected/waitlisted from Harvard but then was admitted after the shooting because of his unique experience.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The people saying ED3 are trying to make themselves seem knowledgeable. I’m going to guess the they have never actually worked in an admissions office and aren’t familiar with this very common practice of calling before making an offer. This has been the norm at many schools for decades.

If a counselor using that term actually had experience in or relationships with people in admissions offices, they’d be better at their job. Their job is to dial down the pressure, not contribute to it.

You can verbally say you’d love an officer and decline it later. They’re trying to move fast and get to the kids who are still interested, though.

This exactly. It's not binding. It is a bullying tactic. My kid was prepared to say yes, and then take the time to enroll (visit school etc.). Hasn't been offered, but that is our plan if she does get that kind of call.

Yes, this is what private IEC's recommend.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The people saying ED3 are trying to make themselves seem knowledgeable. I’m going to guess the they have never actually worked in an admissions office and aren’t familiar with this very common practice of calling before making an offer. This has been the norm at many schools for decades.

If a counselor using that term actually had experience in or relationships with people in admissions offices, they’d be better at their job. Their job is to dial down the pressure, not contribute to it.

You can verbally say you’d love an officer and decline it later. They’re trying to move fast and get to the kids who are still interested, though.

This exactly. It's not binding. It is a bullying tactic. My kid was prepared to say yes, and then take the time to enroll (visit school etc.). Hasn't been offered, but that is our plan if she does get that kind of call.

I don't think it's bullying. Some people clicked yes back in March. They may not have withdrawn from the waitlist even though they aren't interested anymore. What's the problem with verifying that someone is still considering that college?

Maybe we need to be better at getting kids to withdraw to speed things up.

Anonymous wrote:The people saying ED3 are trying to make themselves seem knowledgeable. I’m going to guess the they have never actually worked in an admissions office and aren’t familiar with this very common practice of calling before making an offer. This has been the norm at many schools for decades.

If a counselor using that term actually had experience in or relationships with people in admissions offices, they’d be better at their job. Their job is to dial down the pressure, not contribute to it.

You can verbally say you’d love an officer and decline it later. They’re trying to move fast and get to the kids who are still interested, though.

This exactly. It's not binding. It is a bullying tactic. My kid was prepared to say yes, and then take the time to enroll (visit school etc.). Hasn't been offered, but that is our plan if she does get that kind of call.

The people saying ED3 are trying to make themselves seem knowledgeable. I’m going to guess the they have never actually worked in an admissions office and aren’t familiar with this very common practice of calling before making an offer. This has been the norm at many schools for decades.

If a counselor using that term actually had experience in or relationships with people in admissions offices, they’d be better at their job. Their job is to dial down the pressure, not contribute to it.

You can verbally say you’d love an officer and decline it later. They’re trying to move fast and get to the kids who are still interested, though.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:STOP SAYING ED3.

It’s normal for schools to call to check if the kid wants the offer. Some don’t. Many do. Calm down.

Our school-based college counselor calls it ED3 so that's why I'm using that term. It seems like a term college admissions insiders are using.

Appreciate the explanation. It makes not one bit of sense, though I believe you that your counselor is using it with you.

Anonymous wrote:STOP SAYING ED3.

It’s normal for schools to call to check if the kid wants the offer. Some don’t. Many do. Calm down.

Our school-based college counselor calls it ED3 so that's why I'm using that term. It seems like a term college admissions insiders are using.